VOL.  1.      i  '-'"^'l^o^l  l^^^E^i^"^  ""■•  !■       NEW  YORK. 


PPICnUPrM.of,  DEAD  LINE  III  mSOHVILLE, 

I      lllUUIl     I      Lll    I  BY    MARLINE    MANLY. 


Chased  through  the  pwamp  hy  the  rebel  guards  of  Andersonvllle. 


THE  WA.R  LIBRARY. 


PRISON   PEN; 


BEAD  lilNE  AT  ANDERSOITVIIiliE. 


Br   MARLINE   MANLY. 


CHAPTER 


OFF   FOR  THE    SEAT   OF   WAR. 

"  I  haye  enlisted,  mother!" 

The  little  woman  to  whom  these  words 
were  addressed  turned  white  as  with  the 
pallor  of  death,  and  then  rallying,  caught 
the  hands  of  her  tall  boy  in  her  own,  look- 
ing into  his  eyes  with  a  hungry  glance  that 
spoke  more  than  words  ever  could. 

There  were  unshed  tears  in  that  widow's 
eyes,  and  the  fact  was  plainly  manifest  that, 
although  the  words  of  Archie  Gordon  had 
not  been  entirely  unexpected,  they  nerer- 
theless  gave  her  a  terrible  shock. 

••  Do  not  take  it  so  hard,  mother.  The  time 
has  come  when  I  can  no  lonser  liold  out 
against  the  desire  to  serve  my  country.  I  am 
going,  mother,  and  you  must  help  me  to 
keep  up  a  stout  heart." 

"Father  in  Heaven,  was  it  not  enough 
that  I  should  lose  husband  ?  Is  it  fair  to  rob 
y  fron 
i  cruel 
cruel!" 

"Mother,  you  forget  that  your  love  for 
our  country  in  such  an  hour  must  rise  supe 
rior  to  all  else.  God  will  watch  over  me.  I 
firmly  believe  I  shall  come  back  to  you 
again  safe  and  sound  when  this  war  is  over, 
and  then  you  will  feel  iiroud  of  your  soldier 
boy." 

"  As  if  I  had  not  always  been  proud    of 

£)u,  my  noble  boy,"  murmured  the  little 
dy,  with  her  arms  uo\.  clinging  around  his 
neck,  "but  my  heart  grows  heavy  with  ap- 
prehension when  I  think  of  you  in  the  heat 
of  battle,  with  death  hovering  near  in  a 
thousand  shapes.  Oh,  may  the  good  Father 
In  Heaven  save  you  for  me !  Was  it  not 
enough  that  they  bereft  me  of  my  Edward, 
the  dearest,  kindest,  noblest  husband  woman 
ever  had,  without  robbing  me  of  my  boy, 
too?" 

Archie  comforted  her,  and  presently  the 
little  mother  proved  herself  possessed  of 
Spartan  blood  and  resolution. 

"  I  must  not  let  him  see  how  terribly  it 
outs  me  to  the  heart  to  have  him  go.  Sure- 
ly he  has  enough  to  suffer  in  thus  leaving  all 
he  loves  for  duty's  sake.  I  will  no  longer 
be  a  hindrance  in  his  path.    God  bless  him." 

With  this  noble  resolution  in  view,  the 
little  woman,  already  bereft  of  husband  by 
the  cruel  hand  of  war,  closed  ner  bleeding 
heart  and  even  smiled  when  Archie  told  her 
enthusiastically  how  the  people  had  shaken 
hands  with  him  when  he  enlisted  and  called 
him  a  chip  of  the  old  block ;  but,  ah,  it  was  a 
pitiful  smile  that  wrung  the  young  fellow's 
heart. 

He  knew  full  well  that  a  sad  memory  had 
arisen  in  her  mind  of  the  day  when  his 
father,  the  doctor,  had  come  home  to  bid 
them  all  tarewell. 

He  had  raised  a  company  and  become  en- 
rolled in  the  army. 

At  that  time  it  was  a  popular  delusion 
that  the  war  could  only  last  three  or  four 
months  at  the  most,  and  the  parting  was 
supposed  to  be  for  only  a  short  time. 

People  believed  the  Northern  troops  would 
only  have  to  make  a  march  south,  and  that 
matters  would  soon  be  satisfactorily  set- 
tled. 

Alas !  this  delusion  was  soon  destroyed. 

There  came  stories  of  terrible  battles,  of 
thousands  killed  and  wounded  on  both  sides, 
and  then  many  a  Northern  home  was  wrap- 
ped in  mourning  as  the  name  of  a  beloved 
member  was  seen  in  the  fatal  death  list. 

In  one  of  those  early  engagements 
he  fell.  When  they  read  his  name  among 
the  list  of  "  Dead  "  it  was  as  if  a  thunderbolt 
had  fallen  upon  the  little  Ohio  home.  Oh, 
God !  how  many,  many  homes  suffered  that 
same  dread  shock  during  those  four  years  of 
bloody  war?  Are  there  not  thousands  and 
thousands  of  fathers  and  mothers,  sisters, 
wives  and  sweethearts,  who  look  wistfully 
toward  the  distant  Southland,  and  think  of 
the  magnolia  and  pine  trees  that  bend  over 
the  unmarked  graves  of  those  who  have 
been  very  dear  to  their  hearts  f 

It  was  a  long  time  before  Mrs.  Gordon  re- 
covered from  the  shock,  but  Archie  seemed 
to  have,  in  a  great  measure,  stepped  into  his 
father's  place,  and  she  soon  learned  to  lean 
on  him. 

He  was  very  like  his  father,  and  Archie 
was  often  heard  to  declare  that  if  he  could 


only  gain  the  universal  respect  that  had  al- 
ways been  granted  his  dearly  beloved  parent, 
he  could  wish  no  more. 

The  affectionate  eyes  of  his  mother  had 
long  since  noticed  his  restlessness— how  he 
eagerly  read  every  item  of  news  from  the 
far  oft  land  of  Dixie,  and  with  what  vigor 
he  entered  into  all  the  enterprises  connected 
with  the  soldier's  relief  movement. 

Her  jealous  heart  realized  the  inevitable 
result,  but  she  put  off  tlie  evil  day  in  her 
mind  until  at  last  the  shock  came. 

Archie  had  enlisted ! 

Several  days  passed  along. 

The  widow  hastily  got  all  things  in  readi- 
ness for  his  departure,  and  although  that 
was  to  be  fully  two  weeks  from  the  time  of 
his  enlistment,  the  days  seemed  to  fairly  fly 
to  her,  as  they  will  to  the  condemned  crim- 
inal in  his  cell. 

In  the  presence  of  Archie  she  now  kept  up 
a  cheerful  manner,  which  did  much  toward 
making  the  parting  more  bearable  to  him, 
though  he  saw  through  the  action  of  the 
noble  woman. 

God  alone  knew  how  her  tears  fell  upon 
the  socks  she  darned  for  him,  as  the  terrible 
picture  presented  itself  to  her  of  the  burial 
in  trenches  by  moonlight,  and  among  those 
mutilated  forms  so  hastily  put  forever  out 
of  sight,  she  could  see  the  noble  form  of  her 


the  solitude  of  her  room. 

Archie  was  young,  with  buoyant  spirits, 
and  eager  to  be  a  soldier — eager  to  luflict 
some  loss  upon  those  who  had  robbed  him  of 
a  father. 

True,  he  suffered,  too,  at  the  idea  of  parting 
from  his  dear  little  mother,  but  his  pain  was 
nothing  compared  with  hers. 

There  was  one  in  the  little  Ohio  town 
whom  Archie  had  loved  since  they  were 
children  together. 

He  wondered  how  Muriel  Carter  would 
take  the  news. 

She  was  a  loyal  girl,  foremost  in  all  the 
sanitary  fairs  that  were  held,  and  was  en- 
thusiastic upon  all  matters  pertaining  to  the 
war. 

Though  Muriel  had  never  hinted  to  Archie 
that  she  thought  it  his  duty  to  fill  the  place 
in  the  ranks  made  vacant  by  the  death  of 
his  noble  father,  it  was  more  "than  probable 
that  the  knowledge  of  her  strong  sympathy 
toward  those  who  went  to  the  front  was 
much  of  an  inducement  for  him  to  take  the 
step  that  enrolled  his  name  among  the  de- 
fenders of  his  country. 

As  a  widow's  only  son,  he  was  exempt 
from  the  draft,  but,  somehow,  he  felt  as 
thought  it  was  half  a  disgrace  to  be  at  home 
when  those  who  had  been  his  schoolmates 
were  in  the  war ;  and,  at  last,  unable  to 
stand  it  longer,  he  had  enlisted. 

When  he  went  to  see  Muriel  that  night  he 
knew  she  had  heard  the  news,  liecause  of 
her  graveness  when  she  looked  at  him;  but 
during  the  whole  evening  not  a  word  was 
said  upon  the  subject. 

As  he  was  taking  his  leave  of  her  she  look- 
ed straight  into  his  eyes,  while  her  own  were 
partially  dimmed  with  unshed  tears,  and 
said,  bravely : 

"You  are  going,   Archie,   my  love. 


wounded,  send  for  me,  and  I  will  come  to 
you,  oh,  so  gladly.  If  you  should  never 
come  back,"  choking  down  the  feeling  that 
threatened  to  impede  her  utterance,  "  I  will 
never  forget  my  soldier  boy  while  I  live,  and 
trust  to  meet  you  in  Heaven." 

"  You  would  not  have  me  stay  at  home, 
Muriel?"  he  asked. 

"No;  for  I  think  the  time  has  come  when 
every  man  is  needed  at  the  front.  Before, 
there  were  enough,  without  the  sons  of 
widows  and  men  over  forty,  but  the  war  has 
now  l)ecome  so  terrible  that  every  one  capa- 
ble of  bearing  arms  who  loves  his  country, 
should  be  at  the  front  to  crush  this  hydra- 
headed  monster  that  threatens  to  tear 
asunder  our  beloved  Union.  No,no;  a  thou- 
sand times,  no.  Much  as  I  love  you,  Archie, 
I  would  rather  know  of  you  as  being  in  the 
heat  of  battle  with  danger  around  you,  than 
in  safety  at  home.  Would  that  I  were  a 
man,  capable  of  bearing  arms  for  my 
country.  The  time  now  is,  when  no  im- 
pediment should  be  enough  to  keep  back 
one  loyal  heart." 

"  You  will  comfort  my  poor  mother  when 
I  am  gone,  sweetheart?"  he  asked,  ten- 
derly. 

"  I  love  her  dearly,  Archie,  and  I  will  be  a 
daughter  to  her  in  time  of  need.  All  that 
a  loving  child  could  do  for  her,  that  will 
I  do." 


He  pressed  her  in  his  arms,  and  kissed  her 
for  those  dear  words. 

She  looked  up  at  his  manly  figure,  and  a. 
great  sigh  forced  itself  from  between  her 
lips. 


pierce  her  heart  when  she  saw  the  one  to 
whom  her  love  had  gone  out,  marching  off 
from  home  in  his  suit  of  blue;  going,  it 
might  be,  to  death  in  the  laud  of  war.  , 

The  time  flew  by. 

At  last  came  the  day  when  he  was  to  leave 
them,  never,  perhaps,  to  return. 

It  was  just  such  a  day  as  had  been  the  one 
which  witnessed  the  departure  of  Captain 
Gordon  and  his  company— the  sky  fair,  the 
birds  warbling,  and  all  nature  seemed  glad ; 
yet  the  widow's  heart  was  heavy  as  lead, 
though  she  kept  up  to  the  end  in  a  manner 
that  was  simply  wonderful. 

There  were  a  score  of  men  from  the  town 
in  the  company,  the  balance  being  from  ad- 
jacent places,  and  every  one  within  a  radius 
of  miles— saving  a  few  whose  sympathies 
were  the  other  way— assembled  to  wlih 
sembled  to  wish  them  God  speed. 

How  manly  Archie  Gordon  looked  in  his 
suit  of  blue. 

He  wore  the  stripes  of  a  corporal  on  his 
sleeves,  and  a  nobler  boy  never  left  home  to 
battle  for  his  country. 

The  fateful  moment  drew  nearer. 

He  had  already  bidden  Muriel  good-by  in 
the  privacy  of  her  home  on  the  previous 
evening;  for,  although  their  engagement 
was  generally  known,  still  they  had  no  de- 
sire to  make  a  public  spectacle  of  it. 

Archie  had  not  been  without  rivals,  and 
the  most  persistent  of  these  was  one  Clar. 
enee  Henston,  a  lieutenant  in  the  very  com- 
pany then  about  startling  out. 

Muriel  had  induced  him  to  enlist,  though 
it  had  been  somewhat  of  a  task,  for  he  was 
but  a  lukewarm  lover  of  the  Union,  his  fa- 
ther being  secretly  a  sympathizer  with  the 
South,  though,  in  such  a  loyal  community, 
he  did  not  dare  to  voice  his  impressions 
much,  for  fear  of  the  coat  of  tar  and  feath- 
ers that  awaited  him  from  his  indignant 
neighbors;  who,  while  believing  every  man 
entitled  to  his  opinion  upon  such  matters, 
had  no  desire  to  hear  him  bellow  it  forth  on 
all  occasions,  and  taunt  them  with  every  re- 
pulse of  Northern  arms. 

Clarence  Henston  was  something  of  a 
dandy  in  his  way,  and  strutted  about  in  his 
(ifticer's  dress  as  though  the  eyes  of  all  were 
upon  him,  but  Archie,  beloved  of  all,  was 
the  center  of  attraction. 

His  wonderful  figure,  handsome  face, 
noble  head,  so  like  his  father's,  curly,  close 
cropped  hair,  and  kind,  flashing,  yet  mag- 
netic eye,  were  enough  to  make  up  a  re- 
markable young  fellow  whom  any  girl 
might  well  be  proud  of  as  a  lover. 

Muriel's  eyes  followed  him  as  he  went 
aliout  among  the  townspeople  shaking 
hands  heartily  with  all,  large  and  small. 

Her  heart  was  filled  with  pride  to  think 
that  this  noble  young  fellow  was  her  own — 
that  during  the  long  weary  march  in  the 
heat  of  battle,  while  in  the  midst  of  danger, 
on  the  scout  through  Southern  swamps,  ly- 
ing in  bivouac  under  the  whispering  pines; 
and,  even  when  suffering  the  agonies  of 
pain,  should  Heaven  see  fit  to  inflict  such 
upon  him— his  mind  would  be  filled  with 
thoughts  of  her. 

Oh,  it  were  better  to  be  the  sweetheart  of 
a  soldier,  in  those  days,  than  a  queen. 

The  gay  lieu tenaut  bade  her  adieu ;  and  yet 
so  preoccupied  was  she  in  thoughts  of 
Archie  that  she  barely  noticed  his  gallant 
speech  of  dying  for  her,  if  need  be,  and  of 
hoping  for  reward  if  he  lived  to  come  home 
with  honors,  so  that  Clarence  hardly  knew 
whether  to  be  offended  or  not  as  he  walked 
away.  rjp 

The  shrill  whistle  of  the  locomotive  waixD 
now  heard — the    decisive    moment  was  ai 
hand. 

There  were  hearty  handshakings; 
then  the  boys  in  blue  began  leaping  on  the 
cars  that  were  to  convey  them  to  Cincin- 
nati. 

Archie  pressed  his  mother  to  his  heart,  and 
heard  her  low  "  God  bless  you,  my  boy,  I  will 
pray  for  you." 

Turning,  he  almost  staggered  toward 
Muriel. 

At  this  decisive  moment  all  feelings  of 
bashfulness  were  gone. 

He  only  knew  that  he  was  leaving  her ; 
that  perhaps  he  would  never  see  her  again 
in  life,  and  it  was  impossible  to  only  press 
her  hand. 

He  took  her  in  his  arms,  reverently  kissed 
her  farewell,  gave  her  one  look  into  her  fear- 


:k 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


claim  her 

II    1  oan    prevent   it,   curse   his   haudsome 
face,"  he  muttered. 


Faster  it  went— still  faster,  and  then  the 
rumble  died  away.  They  had  gone— alas— to 
what  fate  ? 


CHAPTER  II. 

IBOUGH  KENTUCKY  IN   '61. 

Archie's  father  had  been  in  the  foremost 
battles  for  the  Union ;  and,  although  those  at 
home  had  been  mourning  him  for  some 
months  when  Archie  made  up  his  mind  to 
go  into  the  struggle,  the  war  had  not  yet 
gone  beyond  its  second  year. 

After  being  delayed  in  Cincinnati  until 
they  were  sick  with  impatience,  the  com- 
pany was  sent  down  into  Kentucky,  which 
was  still  debatable  ground,  the  Confederates 
having  apparently  the  firmer  hold  upon  the 
country,  as  the  Unionists  were  compelled  to 
hide  in  the  mountains  like  wolves. 

The  history  of  the  war  in  Kentucky  could 
never  be  fully  written,  for,  as  a  general 
thing,  it  was  a  system  of  guerrilla  warfare, 
savage  and  cruel. 

It  seemed  but  just  that  the  side  by  whom 
the  contest  was  precipitated  should  bear  the 
brunt  of  the  burden. 

The  North  expended  vast  sums  of  money, 
and  sacrificed  thousands  of  her  noblest  sons 
to  crush  the  rebellion;  but  the  South  suffered 
all  this  and  more,  for,  from  one  end  to  the 
other,  her  country  was  devastated  until 
hardly  anything  was  left  by  which  her  in- 
domitable armies  might  be  fed;  and  it  was 
only  because  of  this  that  the  Confederate 
generals  Anally  surrendered— Lee  to  Grant, 
and  Johnston  to  Sherman.  Without  money 
or  credit,  and  a  hostile  army  devastating 
their  country,  they  were  certainly  driven  to 
the  wall. 

Archie  Gordon's  experience  among  the 
guerrillas  of  Kentucky  was  brief,  but  ex- 
ceedingly thrilling. 

When  the  orders  were  finally  received  for 
the  forward  march,  they  crossed  the  Ohio 
on  one  of  the  ferries,  and  proceeded  to  a  ren- 
ilezvous,  where  the  remainder  of  the  regi- 
ment was  met. 

Then  the  march  was  taken  up  through  the 
great  hills  to  the  Lexington  pike. 

In  those  days  a  more  historic  field  could 
not  have  been  found  than  this  self -same  pike ; 
for,  leading  from  Covington  direct  to  the 
heart  of  (he  Blue  Grass  region,  where  slavery 
was  at  its  height,  this  self-same  pike  had 
iilway.'i  lieen  a  highway  for  escaping  slaves, 
nnd  had  witnessed  many  a  terrible  chase,  in 
which  the  fierce  hounds  that  had  of  late 
years  been  brought  into  service  occupied  no 
little  prominence. 

When  Kirby  Smith  made  his  famous  raid 
and  threatened  Cincinnati,  as  Morgan  did 
also,  the  cstizens  of  the  city  were  organized, 
ind  entrenchments  thrown  up  beyond  Cov- 
ington on  the  Kentucky  hills.  Covering  the 
Lexington  pike  was  a  rude  fort,  the  remains 
of  which  are  still  to  be  seen. 
That  was  a  reign  of  terror  that  will  never 


her  seven  hills. 

It  was  expected  that  the  rebel  raiders 
would  come  along  the  Lexington  pike;  and, 
one  morning,  just  at  early  dawn,  the  camp 
was  aroused  by  the  guns  of  the  pickets,  and 
nwoke  to  the  fact  that  the  enemy  were  upon 
them. 

There  was  a  tremendous  clatter  of  hoofs 
(  upon  the  hard  pike,  and  a  great  cloud  of 
dust  arose. 

All  was  intense  excitement,  for  most  of  the 

men  in  the  trenches  were  raw  recruits— gen- 

j  tlemen  who  were  exempt  from  the  draft,  or 

else  had  sent  a  substitute  to  the  front,  and 

yet  who  were  ready  to  defend  their  homes. 

When  the  truth  broke  upon  them  they  felt 
such  a  reaction  that  cheers  arose  loud  enough 
to  make  the  woods  echo  with  the  sound. 

Instead  of  Kirby  Smith  and  his  grizzled 
men,  there  came  m  sight  a  large  drove  of 
mules,  on  the  way  to  the  Cincinnati  market. 

It  was  not  many  miles  away  from  the  spot 
ivhere  this  scene  occurred  that  the  regiment 
of  which  Archie  Gordon  was  a  member,  on 
'.ts  way  through  Kentucky  to  join  the  Union 
army  further  south,  came  in  contact  with  a 
force  of  guerrillas. 

The  orders  given  the  colonel  commanding 


had  been  to  inflict  as  much  damage  upon  the 
rebel  inhabitants  of  Kentucky  as  was  possi- 
ble, and  gain  as  many  recruits  as  he  could. 

Both  of  these  injunctions  he  carried  out  to 
the  best  of  his  ability,  and  men  were  con- 
tinually coming  into  camp  from  the  moun- 
tain fastnesses,whitherthey  had  been  chased 
by  the  relentless  foe. 

The  Confederate  force  in  Kentucky  at  this 
time  did  not  amount  to  much ;  at  least  they 
were  scattered  so  far  over  the  State  that 
they  were  not  capable  of  organizing  to  meet 
any  number  of  foes,  yet  they  managed  to 
keep  the  whole  country  in  a  state  of  terror, 
and  might  be  said  to  virtually  possess  the 
majority  of  the  commonwealth  of  Ken- 
tucky. 

Being  misinformed  in  regard  lo  the 
strength  of  the  Union  troops,  and  believing 
there  were  only  a  few  companies  of  them, 
not  counting  more  than  a  couple  of  hundred 
men  at  the  most,  the  guerrilla  leaders  oJthat 
section  had  gathered  their  forces  for  a  little 


work  to  lie  in  ambush  and  gobble  up  the 
Federals  as  they  rode  along,  entirely  uncon- 
scious of  the  danger  that  lay  before  them. 

For  this  purpose,  some  three  hundred  men 
were  assembled,  under  one  Foster,  and  it 
was  determined  to  wait  until  the  Union 
troopers  camped  for  the  night,  when  an  as- 
sault would  be  made  that  could  not  be  other- 
wise than  successful. 

Secrecy  was  the  main  object,  so  that  their 
intended  victims  might  not  take  the  alarm ; 
and  hence  it  was  the  Confederates,  in  their 
effort  to  keep  their  mtentions  unknown,  for 
fear  lest  the  news  should  reach  the  ears  of 
those  they  expected  to  surprise,  shut  them- 
selves out  from  all  information  concerning 
their  foes. 

All  this  while  Archie's  colonel  was  well 
aware  of  their  Intentions,  and  when,  in  the 
afternoon,  they  drew  near  a  little  village 
upon  the  pike,  he  sentone-fourth  of  his  force 
forward,  with  orders  to  lie  on  their  arms  all 
night. 

This  small  force  camped  in  the  village. 

What  it  all  meant,  the  men,  of  course,  did 
not  know,  but  their  ofBcers  did,  and  had 
their  men  so  arranged  that,  while  seemingly 
off  their  guard,  they  were  ready  for  immedi- 
ate work. 

It  was  a  bright  moonlight  night. 

Archie  had  not  l)een  taken  into  the  coun- 
sels of  his  superior,  beinganon-commisioned 
ofBcer,  but  he  suspected  the  truth  and  felt 


How  he  would  bear  himself  he  knew  not, 
and  yet  such  a  fight  as  would  be  likely  to 
ensue  would  bear  no  comparison  with  a  gen 
uine  battle,  where  the  roar  of  cannon  shook 
the  earth  and  shells  broke  all  around  with 
terrible  result. 

Sure  enough,  when  the  fair  queen  of  night 
had  reached  her  highest  point,  and  was  look- 
ing calmly  down  upon  the  still  glowing  camp- 
fires  of  the  Union  troops  among  the  few 
houses  which,  with  a  tavern,  constituted 
the  village,  there  suddenly  rang  out  several 
carbine  shots. 

Then  the  pickets  dashed  in. 

The  enemy  was  upon  them. 

Sure  enough,  from  the  trees  on  either  side 
there  came  swooping  dark  masses  of  men, 
and  upon  the  night  air  there  rang  out  the 
terrible  rebel  yell  that  was  wont  "to  strike 
terror  to  the  heart  of  many  a  brave  man. 

The  Union  boys  were  up  and  ready,  but  it 
was  plain  to  be  seen  that  many  things  were 
against  them. 

True,  they  had  in  part  the  protection  of 
the  few  houses,  but  they  were  outnumbered 
two  to  one,  the  rebels  knew  every  inch  of 
the  ground,  and  besides,  were  confident  of 
victory. 

The  major  in  command  knew  full  well  the 
part  he  and  his  men  were  to  take  in  the 
little  game  of  diamond  cut  diamond,  and  he 
at  once  massed  his  men  at  a  central  point 
around  their  horses  and  the  few  stores. 

At  this  place  they  could  give  the  most 
effectual  resistance  to  the  foe,  though  the 
bushwhackers  and  guerrillas  were  coming 
with  such  desperate  fury  that  nothing  could 
have  fully  stopped  them. 

For  raw  recruits  the  men  acted  admirably, 
seeing  that  they  knew  nothing  of  the  game 
their  colonel  was  playing,  and  believed  that 
they  were  to  face  the  foe  unaided. 

They  withheld  their  fire  until  the  order 
came,  and  then  poured  a  disastrous  voUev  in 
among  their  foes  who  returned  a  scattering, 
but  bitter  fire,  as  they  continued  their  head- 
long rush. 

Fierce  by  nature,  and  rendered  more  so  by 
the  wild  life  they  had  led  for  the  past  two 


Where  was  the  colonel  and  the  balance  of 
the  regiment?  Minutes  were  precious  just 
then,  and  no  matter  how  admirable  his  plans, 
a  short  delay  might  prove  disastrous  to  their 
hopes. 

Brave  though  that  Union  band  was,  they 
lacked  the  fierce  energy  which  experience 
had  imparted  to  their  enemies,  and  their 
cause  would  have  been  well  nigh  hopeless 
had  they  been  left  to  themselves. 

But  the  colonel  was  ready. 

From  the  coverts  where  he  and  the  re- 
mainder of  his  men  had  been  in  hiding  he 
had  heard  the  opening  of  the  affair,  and 
when  matters  were  at  this  critical  juncture, 
from  two  sides  the  mounted  Federals  came 
galloping  with  never  a  cry,  but  rushing  down, 
upon  the  foe  like  a  Nemesis. 

The  Confederates  had  been  outwitted. 

They  had  hoped  and  expected  to  take  their 
foes  by  surprise,  but  now  the  boot  was  on 
the  other  leg,  and  their  astonisment  almost 
paralyzed  them  for  the  time  being. 

Thus  they  lost  valuable  time  in  which  it 
might  have  been  possible  for  them  to  hare 
made  their  escape,  but  now  it  was  too  late. 

Completely  hemmed  in  by  the  bluecoats, 
the  Kentucky  wildcats  could  only  fight  with 
a  valor  that,  although  hopeless,  made  every 
man  of  them  a  hero,  and  this  they  kept  up  to 
the  end. 

Many  were  killed,  over  a  hundred  taken 
prisoners,  and  some  seventy  escaped,  though 
not  without  extreme  difHculty. 

They  were  pursued  hither  and  thither  by 
the  mounted  men,  and  hunted  like  foxes. 

It  was  a  reign  of  terror  to  the  rebel  sympa- 
thizers of  the  neighborhood,  and  one  they 
were  not  likely  to  soon  forget. 

Archie  was  one  of  the  foremost  in  pursuing 


and  a  hasty  search  resulted  in  finding  them 
secreted  in  haymows,  barns,  and  even  in  the 
dwellings  around.  One  old  curmudgeon 
refused  to  allow  them  to  search  his  bam, 
declaring  that  no  one  was  there,  and  even 
threatening  to  shoot  the  first  man  who  at- 
tempted to  enter. 

He  was  speedily  disarmed,  however,  and  a 
search  of  the  barn  discovered  three  rebels 
hidden  therein,  one  of  whom  was  enough 
like  the  old  man  to  proclaim  him  his  son, 
which  fact  was  quite  suflicient  to  explain  the 
man's  fierceness. 

I  regret  to  say  that  in  five  minutes  the 
bam  was  in  a  blaze,  but  Archie  Gordon  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  work,  and  felt  indig- 
nant upon  hearing  of  the  ill  treatment  the 
old  man  had  received,  for  he  was  only  stand- 
ing up  for  his  rights. 

This  was  Archie's    first    opportunity  for 


of  the  bullets  fired  as  the  rebels  dashed  for- 
ward, and  he  had  come  within  an  inch  of 
meeting  the  same  fate  himself- an  ounce  of 
lead  tearing  through  the  top  of  his  cap  and 
even  cutting  some  of  his  hair  away  by  its 
passage. 

The  prisoners  weresentback  to  Cincinnati, 
and  the  force,  on  the  following  day,  contin- 


ued on  to  Lexington. 

country  througl 
thej  passed— the  garden  spot  of  Kentucky 


It  was  a  beautiful  country  through  which 


and  Archie  believed  it  must  be  the  most  pic- 
turesque in  the  world.  Hills  and  valleys, 
broad  grassy  level  lands,  beautiful  streams 
and  well  cultivated  farms— they  saw  all 
these  in  one  continuous  panorama,  and  yet 
the  consciousness  that  every  rod  took  them 
further  south  and  nearer  the  scene  of  cruel 
war  was  ever  before  them. 

During  that  march,  the  thoughts  of  our 
young  soldier  were  almost  wholly  with  those 
whom  he  had  left  behind  him,  and  he  was 
more  determined  than  ever  to  win  laurels 
and  make  his  mother  and  Muriel  proud  of 

The  delusion  of  the  speedy  subjection  of 
the  rebels  had  long  since  been  laid  aside  as  a 
chimera,  and  the  stern  reality  was  now 
looked  upon  by  every  one  that  only  by  con- 
tinued warfare  could  the  South  be  brought 
to  terms. 

That  disastrous  and  terrible  battle  of  Bull 
Run  had  done  more  to  awaken  the  North  to 
a  proper  realization  of  the  situation  than  all 
other  things  combined,  and  during  the 
months  that  had  gone  by  since  then,  the 
policy  of  the  government  had  been  radic^y 


It  was  no  longer  believed  that  the  deeiretl 
end  could  be  accomplished  by  a  few  bril- 
liant victories ;  but  that  in  order  to  reduce 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


the  South  to  submission,  they  must  be  taken 
by  the  throat  and  repeatedly  shaken  with 
bulldog  pertinacity  until  but  little  Ufe  re- 
mained,  for  while  they  had  one  leg  left  to 
stand  upon,  the  valiant  descendants  of  Ma- 
rion and  Lee,  of  revolutionary  fame,  would 
fight. 

This  being  the  case,  it  was  now  the  policy 
of  the  North  to  keep  the  war  confined  to  the 
South,  so  that  it  would  gradually  feel  the 
iron  hand  of  devastation— to  gradually  close 
iu  upon  their  strongest  points  — to  raid 
through  the  enem3''s  country,  severing  their 
supply  connections,  and  leaving  a  blackened 
trail  behind,  and  in  every  way  weakening 
the  foe  by  reducing  his  supplies  and  com- 
forts, as  well  as  meeting  him  in  battle  and 
•decimating  his  numbers. 

In  the  end  this  policy  won,  as  it  was  bound 
to  do. 

The  Federals  were  seldom  lacking  any  of 
the  necessariss  of  life,  and  very  often  lived 
iu  luxury,  while  their  foes  were  frequently 
but  illy  fed  aud  clothed;  and  these  things 
tended  to  discourage  them,  though  in  the 
days  of  Washington,  even  worse  privatiens 
at  Valley  Forge  only  nerved  the  Continen- 
tals to  renewed  action. 

Through  Kentucky  on  horseback  to-day  is 
a  far  different  thing  from  the  time  when 
Archie  Gordon  saw  it. 

At  that  time  a  Union  man  would  never 
have  reached  Lexington  alive,  or  gone  safely 
from  there  to  Tennessee,  had  be  been  alone, 
for  the  mountains  abounded  with  bush- 
whackers whose  vindictive  hatred  for  the 
Abolitionists  was  of  a  nature  that  had  no 
scruples  of  conscience. 

A  bullet  in  the  back  was  a  very  frequent 
occurrence  in  those  days,  and  many  a  man 
disappeared  mysteriously,  never  to  be  seen 
again. 

It  was  a  time  for  paying  off  old  scores,  and 
no  man's  life  was  safe,  until,  eventually,  the 
battle  of  Shiloh  decided  the  matter,  and 
Kentucky  was  handed  over  virtually  to  the 
possession  of  the  Union  soldiers. 

This  engagement  was  the  only  one  of 
consequence  that  Archie  took  part  iu,  until 
he  joined  General  Grant's  command,  though 
several  times  they  were  called  on  to  exter- 
minate little  bauds  of  marauders  on  the  way. 
One  bright  afternoon  they  heard  the  sound 
of  drums   ahead,    and    presently   rode  into 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  IRONCLADS    AT  FORT   HENBT. 

At  the  time  when  Archie  and  those  with 
whom  he  had  made  themarch  through  Ken- 
tucky iu  the  late  fall  of  '61  and  early  winter 
of  '  62  reached  the  headquarters  of  General 
Grant,  preparations  were  in  progress  by  the 
Federal  troops,  tending  to  the  immediate  re- 
duction of  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson. 

Mainly  through  slave  labor,  the  rebels  had 
erected  these  two  forts,  the  first  on  the  bank 
of  the  Tennessee  River,  and  commanding  the 
stream,  and  Donelson  performing  the  same 
kind  office  for  the  picturesque  Cumberland. 

They  were  connected  by  a  dirt  road,  and  it 
was  expected  that  in  case  of  an  assault  upon 
either  one,  the  defenders  of  the  other  would 
go  to  the  rescue. 

Grant  was  but  a  brigadier-general  at  that 
time,  but  was  already  watched  by  many  as 
a  rising  light,  for  he  had  given  evidence  of 
bulldog  courage  and  pertinacity,  which,  in 
some  cases,  is  better  than  the  brilliant  mind, 
capable  of  planning  and  executing  startling 
maneuvers,  like  that  of  Napoleon  the  Great. 

Grant  took  with  him  to  Fort  Henry  a  force 
of  some  15,000  men.  He  was  also  powerfully 
assisted  by  Commodore  Foote,  with  his  fleet 
of  seven  gunboats,  four  of  which  were  iron- 
clads. 

When  Archie  Gordon  and  his  comrades 
joined  this  army,  it  was  not  far  from  Fort 
Henry. 

Graut  left  Cairo  with  his  army  on  steam 
barges,  steamed  up  the  Ohio  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Tennessee  River,  and  plunged  at  once 
into  that  stream. 

Some  ten  or  twelve  miles  below  Fort  Hen- 
ry, he  stopped  his  transports,  while  the  com- 
modore sent  his  gunboats  ahead,  shelling  the 
woods,  in  order  to  discover  any  masked  bat- 
teries, at  the  same  time  looking  for  a  good 
place  where  the  troops  might  be  landed. 

Archie  Gordon  was  on  oue  of  the  gunboats, 
having  been  temporarily  chosen  to  fill  a  po- 
sition occupied  by  a  cousin  of  his,  who  was 
taken  severely  sick.  Thus,  through  mere 
chance,  he  was  placed  in  a  position  where  he 
saw  the  fighting  that  was  destined  to  o?cur, 
and  in  which  the  land  forces  had  little  part. 

About  fourrailes  below  the  fort  the  troops 
debarked,  and  for  two  days  were  busied 
.^with  preparations. 


On  the  second  day  after  that  which 
marked  their  arrival.  Grant  was  ready  for 
business. 

General  McClernand,  with  the  main  body 
of  the  army,  was  sent  to  move  across  the 
country,  seize  the  road  leadine  to  Donelson, 
and  then  bear  down  upon  the  fort,  but  by 
an  error  in  calculation  he  was  delayed  so 
long  in  crossing  the  marshy,  intervening 
stretch  that  the  troops  were  cheated  out  of 
their  expected  and  anticipated  participation 
in  the  onslaught. 

However,  the  battle  was  decided  without 
their  aid,  though  it  would  have  brought 
matters  to  a  focus  sooner,  no  doubt. 

General  Smith,  with  his  brigade,  advanced 
along  the  west  shore,  while  the  gunboats 
steamed  up  the  river  to  attack  the  fort  from 
the  river. 

Archie  was  on  the  Cincinnati,  which  was 
the  flagship,  Foote  being  thereon  iu  person. 

Together  with  the  EsscX,  Carondelet  and 
St.  Louis,  the  Cincinnati  steamed  toward  the 
fort,  and  the  fun  soon  began,  growing  fast 
and  furious  with  each  passing  minute. 

The  other  three  gunboats  being  without 
even  the  flimsy  armor  which  protected  the 
ironclads  stayed  out  of  gunshot,  and  sent 
shell  after  shell  into  the  fort  from  the  river. 

It  was  Archie's  first  real  experience,  and 
his  blood  leaped  wildly  with  excitement  as 
the  great  guns  boomed,  and  the  water  flew 
high  in  air  when  the  heavy  shot  from  the 
fort  struck  close  by. 

Slowly  but  surely  the  four  ironclads  drew 
nearer  the  fort. 

They  dared  not  send  in  a  broadside,  for 
fear  of  exposing  their  almost  unprotected 
sides,  so  that  the  flght  was  for  the  time  whol- 


There  were  heavy  guns  in  Fort  Henry,  one 
having  a  caliber  of  sixty  pounds  and  another 
of  one  hundred  aud  twenty-eight,  and  when 
shot  from  these  struck  there  was  reason  for 
consternation. 

For  an  hour  the  terrible  bombardment 
went  on,  the  guns  in  the  fort  replying  with 
vigor,  though  it  was  evident  that  the  force 
was  hardly  sufScient  to  properly  work 
them. 

At  about  this  time  Archie  chanced  to  be 
loiking  toward  the  Essex,  when  he  heard  an 
explosion  differing  from  the  firing  of  a  can- 
non, and  immediately  the  ironclad  was  en- 
veloped in  steam. 

A  twenty-four  pound  soUd  shot  had  torn 
through  her  oak  planking  and  penetrated 
her  starboard  boiler,  filling  her  with  steam, 
killing  both  her  pilots  at  their  post  and 
severely  scalding  Captain  Porter  and  two 
score  of  his  crew. 

The  Essex  drifted  out  of  the  action,  and 
those  in  the  fort  believed  for  the  time  that  the 
victory  was  theirs,  but  the  other  ironclads 
kept  steadily  on  until  they  were  within  some 
five  hundred  yards  of  the  spot  where  the 
rebels  crouched  behind  their  works  en- 
gaged in  firing  those  of  their  guns  that  were 
yet  serviceable. 

The  cannonade  now  became  terrible,  for 
the  gunboats  poured  in  a  perfect  hailstorm  of 
shot. 

Nor  did  the  Confederates  shrink. 

More  than  one  solid  ball  struck  the  flag- 
ship at  a  point  where  it  made  a  mark,  and 
one  man  was.  killed,  while  many  received 
wounds  from  the  flying  splinters. 

A  dense  smoke  hung  over  river  and  fort, 
so  that  it  was  hard  to  tell  what  damage  was 
done,  but  the  Union  gunners  could  see  the 
rebel  flag  still  above  the  works,  and  as  long 
as  that  remained  they  knew  it  was  no  time 
for  slackening  their  fire. 

There  were  now  only  four  of  the  guns  in 
the  fort  serviceable,  the  others  having  beeu 
disabled,  and  even  the  great  twenty-four 
inch  eolumbiad  had  its  vent  closed,  render- 
ing it  useless. 

Meanwhile,  the  fire  of  the  fleet  grew  fiercer 
as  the  vessel  kept  on  nearing  the  fort. 

"uman  nature  could  stand  no  more. 


against  whom  they  could  make  no  defense 
whatever  ;  and,  taken  altogether,  their  case 
was  perfectly  hopeless. 

The  rebels  must  have  known  that  Fort 
Henry  was  bound  to  fall,  for  General  Tilgh- 
man  in  command  had  sent  all  of  his  men, 
saving  one  hundred  whom  he  retained  to 
work  the  guns,  to  Fort  Donelson  on  the 
morning  of  this  eventful  day,  under  Colonel 
Heiman,  and  had  McClernand  beeu  ordered 
to  start  a  few  hours  earlier  to  occupy  the 
dirt  road,  he  must  have  inevitably  captured 
them  all. 

When  the  firing  was  hottest  on  the  part  of 
the  fleet,  Archie  became  suddenly  aware  of 
the  fact  that  there  was  now  no  answer  from 


the  fort,  and  a  minute  later  he  saw  the  defiant 
rebel  flag  lowered  from  the  proud  position 
it  had  maintained  during  the  whole  of  thw 
conflict. 

Fort  Henry  had  fallen ! 

Then  cheers  arose  from  those  upon  the  fleet, 
and  were  taken  up  by  the  troops  upon  the 
shore,  yet  the  land  forces  felt  terribly  ag- 
grieved because  they  had  been  cheated  by 
fate  out  of  a  share  in  the  work. 

However,  it  was  pretty  generally  known  ' 
among  them  that  Donelson  was  to  be  their 
next  field  of  work,  aud  as  this  was   a   far  - 
superior  fort  to  the  one  that  had  just  capitu- 
lated to  Grant's  forces,   they  felt  confident  - 
of  yet  having  a  chance  to  try  their  mettle. 

There  were  only  some  seventy  rebels  cap- 
tured at  Fort  Henry  with  Tilghman,  barring 
the  killed,  but  a  hospital  ship  also  fell  into 
Union  hands  with  sixty  invalid  soldiers,  and 
barracks,  tents,  ete.,  sufficient  for  the  whole 
army  of  15,000  men.  The  Union  loss,  beside 
those  on  the  Essex,  was  one  killed  and  nine 
wounded  on  the  fiagship. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

rORT     DONELSON 

No  time  was  lost  by  Grant. 

Fort  Henry  had  been  taken  ;  but  it  was  a 
small  matter  compared  with  the  strong  re- 
doubt upon  the  Cumberland. 

There  were  some  15,000  Confederate  troops 
at  Fort  Donelson,  commanded  in  person  by 
the  ex-secretary  of  War,  John  B.  Floyd 
under  whom  were  the  well  known  generals' 
Pillow  and  Buckner. 

The  defenses  of  Fort  Donelson  were  of  a 
most  remarkable  nature. 

It  occupied  a  level  plateau,  containing  a 


Is  upon 
feet  in 


eighty  or  ninety  acres,  which  stands  up 
the  steep  bluff  over  one  t  -  -  -  »- 
height. 

There  were  a  couple  of  water  batteries  at 
its  base,  mounting  a  dozen  guns,  some  of 
very  large  caliber,  all  protected  by  heavy 
earthworks,  and  bearing  up  the  river. 

There  were  some  eight  heavy  guns  in  the 
fort  proper,  but  in  addition  there  were  the 
field  batteries  belonging  to  the  army  that 
garrisoned  the  redoubt. 

Most  of  its  defenders  were,  of  course,  na- 
tive Tennesseeans,  but  there  were  some 
regiments  from  Mississippi,  Kentucky, 
Alabama,  Virginia,  Arkansas  and  Texas. 

There  weie  points  inland  from  whence  the 
fort  was  commanded,  elevations  several 
hundred  feet  in  height,  and  the  land  be- 
tween, being  heavily  wooded,  with  deep, 
rocky  ravines,  afforded  splendid  opportuni- 
ties for  defensive  warfare. 

On  the  land  side  a  stout  abatis  had  been 
formed,  which  rendered  assault  at  some 
points  a  thing  entirely  out  of  the  question. 

To  many  men  an  assault  upon  such  a 
place  would  have  seemed  sheer  mad. 
ness,  especially  when  defended  by  such  an 
army  as  that  under  Floyd— but  Grant  was 
the  man  for  the  hour. 

It  was  now  nearing  the  middle  of  February, 
1862,  and  yet  the  Teiiuessee  weather  was  de- 
licious, seeming  to  these  men  of  the  cold 
North  like  October  in  their  native  states. 

Gi  ant's  forces  were  being  constantly  aug- 
mented, and, he  had  promise  of  many  more 
regiments  after  he  had  once  begun  the  siege 
of  Fort  Donelson;  so,  without  delay,  he  set 
out  over  the  dirt  road  spoken  of  before,  and 
which  connected  the  two  rebel  forts. 
This  was  on  the  twelfth  of  February. 
His  lines  were  gradually  extended  so  as  to 
invest  the  rebel  stronghold  by  a  line  reach- 
ing almost  from  the  river  above  to  the  river 
below,  and,  by  some,  estimated  to  have  been 
over  three  miles  in  length. 

This  environing  line  was  only  a  few  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  Confederate  rifle  pita 
and  batteries  which  encircled  Fort  Donel- 
son, at  a  distance  of  a  mile  or  so  from  it. 

It  was  natural  that  at  this  time  some  sharp 
skirmishing  should  be  engaged  in  by  the 
riflemen  of  both  sides,  the  men  firing  Indian  ' 
fashion  from  behind  trees,  and  enjoying  this 
method  of  warfare  in  the  highest  degree,  '- 
though  they  well  knew  it  was  but  prelimin-  | 
ary  work.  ' 

Archie  was  with  his  company,  and  had 
charge  of  a  squad  of  sharpshooters,  who  lay 
behind  a  bank,  and  amused  themselves  by 
covering  a  rebel  battery,  planted  behind  a 
breastwork,  some  three  hundred  yards  dis- 
tant, and  picking  off  any  man  they  could 
sight. 

They  were  replied  to  by  some  Arkansas 
boys,  and  that  these  marksmen  in  gray  were 
experts,  they  soon  realized. 

Archie  had  his  cap  pierced,  and  sent  from 
his  head  as  he  peeped  out  from  his  place  of 
shelter,  and  it  reminded  him  very  much  of 
his  encounter  with  the  Kentucky  guerrillas. 


He* 

Ut4\ 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


?hat  damage  they  had  inflicted  in  return 
of  course,  they  could  not  positively  say,  but 
more  than  one  Confederate  had  been  made 
to  bite  the  dust 

On  the  evening  of  February  13.  Commo- 
dore Foote  arrived  with  his  fleet  consisting 
of  four  ironclads  and  two  wooden  gnuboats 
I  and  it  was  decided  that  on  the  following 
day  he  should  attempt  to  silence  the  water 
I  batteries. 

Preparations  were  made  during  the  night 
J  and  the  following  morning,  and  at  about 
j  half-past  two  or  a  little  later  in  the  after- 
[  noon,  he  made  the  attack. 

The  ironclads  advanced  to  within  about 
I  four  hundred  yards  of  the  water  batteries, 
and  poured  in  their  shot,  receiving  the  Are 
of  the  twelve  heavy  guns,  and  also  many 
from   Fort  Donelson  overhead. 

For  an  hour  this  furious  cannonade  was 
maintained,  and  the  commodore  had  almost 
accomplished  the  work  assigned  to  him,  as 
most  of  the  gunners  had  deserted  the  water 
batteries,  when  a  series  of  unfortunate  acci- 
dents occurred,  turning  the  tide  of  battle 
completely.  The  St.  Louis  was  now  the 
flagship,  and  had  done  noble  work  thus  far, 
but  at  thiseritical  junction  the  wheel  was  shot 
away,  while  the  tiller  of  its  consort,  the 
Louisville  was  also  wrecked,  rendering  both 
ironclads  unmanageable,  and  causing  them 
to  drift  out  of  the  action. 

The  gunners  of  the  water  batteries,  seeing 
the  accident,  returned  to  their  posts,  and 
poured  in  a  renewed  flre,  in  which  they  were 
secondea  by  at  least  twenty  guns  from  the 
heights  above,  so  Commodore  Foote,  realiz- 
ing the  foolhardiness  of  trying  to  annihilate 
the  batteries  in  his  crippled  condition,  gave 
up  the  contest,  and  steamed  down  the 
river. 

This  defeat  of  the  Union  gunboats  served 
to  elate  the  Confederates. 

It  was  Floyd's  intention  to  desert  Donel- 
son, as  had  been  done  with  Fort  Henry,  see- 
ing that  capture  was  inevitable,  for  Grant's 
forces  were  being  constantly  augmented  by 
the  arrival  of  transports  from  the  Ohio, 
having  regiments  on  board. 

After  a  counsel  of  war,  it  was  decided  to 
cut  their  way  through  the  Union  lines,  and 
escape  up  the  river  to  Nashville. 

Pillow  commanded  on  the  rebel  left,  and 
Buckuer  in  the  center. 

This  was  on  the  morning  of  the  Uf  teenth. 

Pillow  struck  McClemand  heavily,  and 
the  shock  was  severe,  but  the  brave  boys  in 
blue  stood  Arm,  though  outnumbered  at  this 
point. 

The  contest  was  fierce  and  bloody. 

As  if  imbued  with  super-human  energy, 
the  Confederates  pressed  for  ward  in  spite  of 
battery  and  deadly  muskets.  Nothing  could 
check  them  long,  for  they  seemed  utterly  ir- 
resistible. Well  might  they  be,  for  their 
ca"e  was  desperate--let  defeat  come  and  the 
end  was  sure— either  death  or  a  Yankee 
prison  awaited  them. 

For  two  hours  this  fearful  carnage  went 
on,  men  fighting  at  times  hand  to  hand, 
while  the  woods  were  sprinkled  thickly  with 
the  dead. 

McClemand  was  overmatched,  and  al- 
though contesting  every  step  of  ground,  had 
to  fall  back  and  send  for  assistance. 

At  this  time  the  way  of  escape  was  open 
to  the  rebels,  and  remained  so  for  several 
hours,  yet  because  of  some  one's  fatal  blun- 
der no  advantage  was  taken  of  the  opportu- 
nity until  it  was  too  late. 

Arr-= 

and 

those  Ohio  boys  bore  themselves,  and  at  the 
end  of  the  contest,  one-third  of  their  num- 
ber was  missing,  which  was  good  evidence 
that  they  had  not  shirked  their  duty. 

Under  the  trees,  the  blue  and  the  gray 
fought  like  demons,  and  it  would  be  hard  to 
say  which  showed  the  more  pluck  and  en- 
durance, though  Pillow  and  his  men,  with- 
out a  doubt,  did  prodigies  of  valor,  and  had 
the  best  of  the  contest. 

During  the  heat  of  the  battle,  while  the 
two  lines  were  blazing  away  at  each  other, 
at  only  forty  paces  or  so,  Archie  felt  him- 
self struck. 

The  wound  was  only  a  flesh  one  in  the 
arm,  but  the  bullet  had  touched  his  clothes 
within  an  inch  or  two  of  his  heart.  What 
was  singular  and  significant  about  it  was  the 
fact  that  although  he  was  facing  the  foe  at 
the  time,  at  the  end  of  his  company,  the 
bullet  had  undoubtedly  come  from  the  rear. 

Either  some  one  was  shooting  very  reck- 


lessly from  the  Union  side,  or  else  with  a 
temble  purpose  in  view  ! 

All  through  the  dreadful  action  the  young 
sergeant  had  behaved  gallantly,  and  never 
so  much  as  a  sign  of  fear  had  come  to  his 
heart,  but  as  the  conviction  entered  his 
mind  that  he  had  a  foe  in  the  rear  as  bitter 
as  those  in  front,  he  could  not  repress  a  mo- 
mentary chill,  though  he  iid  notfaginhis 
duty  to  his  men. 

General  Grant  was  all  this  time  some  miles 
away,  on  one  of  the  gunboats,  conferring 
with  the  commodore  in  regard  to  the  part 
that  was  to  be  taken  by  the  ironclads  in  the 
siege,  when  they  should  have  repaired  the 
damages  inflicted  upon  them  by  the  rebel 
guns. 

He  was  astonished  to  receive  McClernand's 
call  for  assistance,  and  realized  the  affair 
was  something  of  more  importance  than 
a  skirmish  or  mere  braggadocio  on  the  part 
of  the  Confederatos. 

Promptly  dispatched  assistance  from  Gen- 
eral Lew  Wallace,  commanding  the  Union 
center,  had  succeeded  in  staying  the  rebel 
advance  in  the  meantime. 

It  was  three  o'clock  when  Grant  arrived 
upon  the  field,  and  then  a  general  advance 
was  ordered,  before  which  the  brave  Con- 
federates were  pushed,  stubborn  to  the  last, 
back  into  the  trenches  from  which  they  had 
emerged. 

General  Smith,  on  the  left,  led  the  boys  in 
blue  over  the  rebel  breastworks,  and  even 
held  them  against  all  opposition 


gloomy,   chilled  the  blood 


ing  cold  and  keen  from   the  northwest, 
slight  snow   had   fallen,  and  the  situation 
was  terribly  uncomfortable  for  both  parties. 

Most  of  the  Union  soldiers  were  lacking 
tents,  and  many  of  them  had  no  fires,  so 
that  they  had  to  crouch  all  night  in  the 
cold,  striving  to  keep  warm,  by  huddling 
their  overcoats  about  them,  or  stamping 
upon  the  ground,  and  flapping  their  arms. 

The  rebels,  more  poorly  clothed  and  desti- 
tute of  flres,  must  have  fared  even  worse  in 
the  trenches,  but  they  stood  it  bravely. 

It  is  even  said  that  many  of  the  wounded 
on  both  sides,  during  that  day's  engagement, 
left  uncared  for  because  of  the  fierceness  of 
the  battle,  were  frozen  to  death  where  they 
lay. 

Archie  Gordon  was  more  fortunate  than 
many  of  his  fellow  soldiers,  for  he  had  se- 
cured a  portion  of  a  fallen  tree,  and  throw- 
ing in  with  half  a  dozen  others  had  the 
pleasure  of  sitting  beside  a  comfortable  flre, 
and  also  sleeping  alongside  of  it. 

The  Confederates,  during  this  night  were 
in  a  very  unenviable  state  of  mind,  particu- 
larly those  in  command. 

Grant's  army  had  been  so  constantly  in- 
creased by  fresh  arrivals  sent  from  Cincin- 
nati, Cairo  and  other  points  along  the  Ohio 
that  he  now  had  a  force  of  something  like 
35,000  men,  and  was  believed  by  the  Confed- 


further  effort  to  keep  the  fort,  and  as  their 
attempt  to  cut  a  way  out  had  failed,  nothing 
seemed  left  but  to  surrender. 

For  over  eighty  hours  their  men  had  en- 
dured the  terrible  strain  of  watching  and 
fighting,  besides  suffering  keenly  the  while 
from  tlie  cold,  and  many  of  them  were  so 
utterly  worn  out  as  to  fall  asleep  in  line  of 
battle,  wheu  actually  under  fire,  which  fact 
is  vouched  for  in  history  upon  authentic 
grounds. 

Then  again,  the  fact  that  a  portion  of  the 
Union  array  had  gained  a  foothold  in  the  in- 
trenchments  was  a  severe  blow,  for  it  would 
be  a  comparatively  easy  task  for  them  to 
continue  the  good  work  thus  begun  until  all 
the  outer  defenses  of  the  fort  were  taken, 
and  then  the  end  would  be  near. 

Brave  Buckner  thought  they  might  still 
fight  their  way  through  with  a  loss  of  three- 


ber,  but  this  idea  was 


rrender  the 
for 


fourths  of  their 
abandoned. 

It  was  decided  therefore  to  sv 
post  on  the  morrow. 

Now  John  B.  Floyd  had  good 
not  wishing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
Union  forces,  and  he  determined  to  escape 
in  the  night. 

So  he  handed  the  command  of  the  fort  over 
to  General  Pillow,  who,  in  turn,  intrusted  it 
to  Buckner,  who  was  to  be  made  the  scape- 
goat of  the  occasion. 

Two  rebel  steamboats  having  reached  the 
fort  during  the  night  from  the  direction  of 
Nashville,  Floyd  embarked  as  many  of  his 
men  as  he  could,  especially  his  own  brigade, 


and  steaming  up  the  river  they  ingloriotuly 
left  the  rest  to  their  fate. 

What  bitter  feelings  must  have  swelled  the 
hearts  of  those  who  were  thus  deserted  by 
their  chiefs  and  left  behind  to  enter  Yankee 
prisons  ? 

No  really  brave  general  could  ever  have 
deserted  the  men  who  had  fought  so  gal- 
lantly for  him  through  the  day  just  passed, 
and  the  thousands  left  behind  had  no  reason 
to  love  the  memory  of  Generals  Floyd  and 
Pillow  in  the  future. 

Archie  was  up  at  dawn,  expecting  more 
hot  work  on  this  new-born  day. 

Early  in  the  morning.  Grant  received  a 
proposition  from  Bucknerj  asking  foracom- 


The  reply  of  Grant  was  that  of  a  soldier 


where  he  could  crush  them,  and  would  not 
admit  of  shilly-shallying. 

That  terse  reply  has  gone  into  history,  and 
substantially  reads : 

'*  No  terms,  except  unconditional  and  Immediate  sur- 
render, can  be  accepted.  I  propose  to  move  Immedi- 
ately upon  your  works.  u.  s.  Grant." 

There  was  nothing  left  for  Buckner  but  to 
accept  the  fiat,  and  thus  about  nine  thousand 
Confederates  were  held  prisoners  of  war, 
and  both  rebel  strongholds  had  fallen  before 
the  prowess  of  General  Grant. 


CHAPTER   V. 

CHICKAMAUGA. 

After  the  surrender  of  Fort  Donelson, 
Archie  Gordon  saw  no  more  of  active  war- 
fare until  the  middle  of  the  following  sum- 
mer. 

He  then  found  himself  under  Rosecrans  at 
Murfreesboro. 

During  this  time  he  had  been  upon  many 
raids  through  portions  of  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee,  and  had  been  engaged  in  several 
severe  skirmishes  with  the  rebels.  Along 
with  others  he  had  served  his  time  in  guard- 
ing the  bridge  along  the  single  line  of  rail- 
road over  which  the  Union  army  received 
its  supplies  from  Louisville,  and  while  thus 
engaged  had  been  in  almost  constant  battle 
with  the  rebel  raiders  and  sympathizers  who 
would,  had  they  been  given  thechance,  have 
burned  every  depot,  bridge  and  trestle,  so 
as  to  cut  the  supply  off  from  the  army. 

At  length  the  Union  army  was  put  in  mo- 
tion, and  the  fact  was  apparent  to  one  and 
all  that  it  would  not  be  long  before  they 
would  see  hot  work. 

Much  skirmishing  ensued,  the  rebels  under 
Bragg  retreating  gradually. 

In  point  of  numbers  the  Federals  could 
count  more  than  their  foes,  but  their  position 
in  a  hostile  country  made  things  more  even. 

Thus  a  hundred  thousand  men  faced  each 
other  grimly,  only  waiting  for  the  decisive 
time  to  come  when  the  two  great  armies 
would  seize  each  other  by  the  throat. 

All  this  time  there  was  exciting  side  play. 

Archie  was  with  Granger  when  he  pushed 
on  to  Shelbyville,  defeating  Wheeler,  and 
taking  the  place  by  repeated  brilliant  dashes, 
thus  capturing  some  five  hundred  prisoners. 
Wheeler,  and  the  balance  of  his  men  escaped 
by  swimming  Duck  River. 

On  August  21  Chattanooga  was  awakened 
by  shells  thrown  across  the  river  by  some  of 
Wilder's  mountain  brigade,  but  it  was  not 
the  intention  to  strike  that  rebel  stronghold 
yet. 

For  some  days  maneuvering  was  done 
such  as  crossing  the  river  on  pontoons, 
sending  a  portion  of  the  army  into  the  bor- 
der land  of  Georgia  to  cut  off  Bragg's  sup- 
plies and  communications. 

Crittenden's  corp  was  to  descend  the  nar- 
row valley,  climb  Lookout  Mountain  by  a 
Eath  known  as  the  Niekajack  trace,  and  thus 
rom  that  eminence  have  command  of  the 
streets  of  Chattanooga  below,  while  Thomas 
and  McCook  were  to  push  boldly  forward 
across  Mission  Ridge  into  the  valley  which  is 
traversed  by  the  famous  Chickamauga  Creek, 
and  proceed  to  the  Tennessee,  just  above 
Chattanooga. 

Bragg  might  have  held  the  place,  but  he 
saw  no  good  could  come  of  it,  and  he  wisely 
withdrew  his  army  in  time. 

It  was  now  strengthened  from  all  quar- 
ters, Lee  sending  Longstreet's  heavy  corps 
of  veterans  from  theRapidan,  Buckner  com- 
ing from  Knoxville,  and  even  Johnson  send- 
ing a  strong  division  under  Walker,  so  that 
the  Confederate  army  now  amounted  to  not 
far  from  a  hundred  thousand  men,  and  was 
the  strongest  ever  gathered  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies. 

The  Union  force  was  some  ,55,000  men,  and 
they,  believing  the  rebels  still  in  full  retr»»t» 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY 


were  rushing  on  like  liounds  pursuing  a 
deer,  while,  truth  to  tell,  Bragg  was  coneen- 
trating  his  immense  force,  and  planning  to 
oapture  the  whole  hostile  army,  which 
seemed  bent  on  rushing  down  to  ruin. 

The  trap  was  sprung  too  soon,  and  after 
feeling  the  tiger's  claws  sharply,  the  Union 
army  realized  that  instead  of  a  keen  chase 
after  a  flying  enemy,  they  were  now  threat- 
ened by  a  foe  far  their  superior  in  point  of 
numbers,  and  that  they  must  now  light  for 
their  lives. 

Then  more  maneuvering  was  required  to 
concentrate  the  scattered  forces  before  thej' 
could  be  cut  off  entirely,  and  gradually  but 
surely  the  great  rebel  army  advanced  to 
crush  Rosecrans. 

The  battle  of  Chickamauga  was  one  of  the 
most  stubborn  and  bloody  of  the  whole  war, 
and  themen  who  lived  through  it  will  never 
forget  its  horrors  to  their  dying  day. 

It  began  in  reality  on  September  19,  and 
continued  with  hardly  any  intermission  dur- 
ing the  whole  of  that  day  and  the  twentieth, 
though  the  hottest  work  was  undoubtedly 
done  on  that  second  day. 

What  need  is  there  of  a  graphic  description 
here.  Outnumbered,  the  boys  in  blue  fought 
from  behind  breastworks  improvised  on  the 
spur  of  the  occasion,  and  although  defeated 
and  forced  to  retire  to  Chattanooga  with  a 
terrible  loss  of  some  20,000  in  killed,  wounded 
and  missing,  had  some  satisfaction  in  know- 
ing that  they  had  inflicted  an  equal  loss  on 
the  impetuous  rebels. 

Although  Bragg's  great  army  camped  that 
second  night  as  victors  upon  the  bloody  field 
of  Chickamauga,  where  the  creek  ran  red 
with  blood,  he  dared  not  follow  up  his  suc- 
cess and  attack  Rosecrans  in  his  mtrench- 
ments  at  Chattanooga,  for  the  latter  stood 
ready  to  repeat  the  fearful  lesson  he  had  given 
Price  and  Van  Dorn  under  similar  circum- 
stances at  Corinth. 
It  was  late  in  the  afternoon. 
The  sun  was  below  the  western  horizon 
•milion  hues  upot 
awful  battle  raged, 
he  lebel  hosts  hurling  themselves  upon 
oeir  grim  foes  as  though  determined  to 
jrush  and  carry  all  before  them. 

There  was  not  a  man  in  the  Union  army 
but  who  saw  hot  work  on  that  fatal  day. 

Archie  Gordon  was  ever  in  the  thickest  of 
the  fight,  and  yet  he  seemed  to  bear  a 
charmed  life. 

He  had  received  several  wounds,  but  they 
were  as  nothing  to  him  then. 

At  such  times  a  man  loses  all  individuality 
and  becomes  oue  of  the  many.  So  it  was 
with  Archie.  His  experience  on  that  day 
was  just  what  almost  every  man  engaged 
experienced. 

Shot  and  shell  flew  around  him— men  sank 
beside  him,  blood  was  everywhere,  and  a 
sulphurous  smoke  at  times  hung  like  a  pall 
over  the  scene. 

For  the  time  being  he  was  transformed  into 
a  man  of  iron— with  close  shut  teeth  and 
flashing  eye  he  nobly  responded  to  the  call 
of  duty. 

Twice  were  the  rebel  legions  at  this  point 
hurled  back,  and  each  time  they  came  up 
fresh  and  eager  to    continue   the  warfare, 
strongly  reinforced,  while  on  every  occasion 
the  number  of  the   boys  in   blue  was  cut 
down  with  no  chance  of  reinforcements. 
They  tried  to  fall  back. 
Even  this  was  not  permitted  them,  for  as 
their    old    foes    appeared    again    in    front, 
stronger  in  number  than  before,  a  fresh  reg- 
iment of  Confederates  showed  up  iu  their 
rear. 
They  were  completely  environed. 
Death  was  all  that  remained  now,  but  they 
had  no  fear,  for  they  had  been  too  close  to 
the  grisly  monster  all  along   to    dread  its 
coming  now. 

The  scene  that  followed  was  appalling, 
yet  it  was  but  one  of  the  many  that  Chicka- 
mauga—well  named  River  of  Death— looked 
upon. 

Hemmed  in  on  all  sides,  the  weary,  desper- 
ate boys  in  blue  fought  like  so  many  tigers, 
bat  that  their  cause  was  hopeless  was  evi- 
denced from  the  fact  that  they  were  out- 
numbered three  to  one. 

Every  man  performed  a  prodigious  amount 
of  work,  but  none  fell  without  inflicting  a 
double  loss  on  the  enemy. 

Before  extermination  came,  there  was  a 
Hoarse  series  of  hurrahs  from  the  hill  close 
by,  and  down  came  several  regiments  of 
Iowa  men  with  a  rush. 

They  struck  before  the  rebels  could  form 
a  new  line,  and  the  tide  of  battle  was  again 
changed,  but  in  their  retreat  the  rebels  car- 
ried off  many  prisoners,  and  the  Union  troops 
dared  not  chase  them  far  for  fear  of  being 
'     I  cut  off  from  the  main  body  by 


some  of  Bragg's  dashing  and  seemingly  in- 
uumeraljle  legions. 

Archie  Gordon  felt  his  heart  sink  when  he 
found  himself  carried  away  as  with  the  tide. 

In  spite  of  the  most  strenuous  efforts  to  free 
himself,  he  found  it  was  impossible,  for  all 
around  him  were  hundreds  of  the  graycoats, 
and  he  was  cairied  away  with  the  vigorous 
retreat  uutil  the  pursuit  was  checked  by  the 
recall  of  the  Iowa  regiments. 

A  few  of  his  comrades  had  been  equally 
unfortunate,  and  were  now  prisoners  like 
himself,  but  the  majority  had  managed  to 
break  away. 

He  was  speedily  conveyed  to  the  rear  of 
the  rebel  army,  and  his  position  was  such 
that  he  could  see  General  Bragg  directing 


er  was  an  object  of  great  interest,  and  he  al- 
most forgot  his  own  deplorable  condition  in 
watching  the  vigorous  actions  of  the  Con- 
federate general-in-chief,  as  he  sent  aids  this 


knowledge  of  the  country  surrounding  Chat- 
tanooga. 

When  night  finally  closed  in,  the  firing  at 
length  ceased,  but  it  was  as  though  the  reb- 
els were  loath  to  give  up  the  action  even 
then. 

By  the  time  day  came  again  the  scene  was 
changed.  Chickamauga  bad  been  fought 
and  won  gloriously  by  the  Confederates,  but 
Rosecrans  held  the  strategic  point— Chatta- 
nooga— which  had  really  been  the  main  ob- 
ject of  his  campaign. 

Night  upon  the  battlefield ! 

The  stars  looked  down  upon  the  thousands 
of  dead  as  if  in  pity.  Blue  and  gray  lay 
promiscuously  about,  some  still  locked  in 
the  fierce  grasp  where  a  sudden  death  had 
found  them;  others  lying  prone  upon  their 
backs,  while  now  and  theu  could  be  found 
some  poor  wretch  with  his  hands  clasped,  as 
though  he  had  tried  to  commend  his  soul  to 
God  before  giving  up  the  ghost. 

Let  us  draw  a  veil  upon  the  hideous  spec- 
tacle. 

With  the  night  crept  out  those  human 
ghouls,  the  robbers  of  the  dead,  to  pursue 
their  nefarious  trade,  and  when  seen  by 
those  who  wore  either  the  blue  or  gray,  they 
met  with  scant  mercy ;  and  while  the  night 
after  the  battle  wore  on,  Archie  Gordon  was 
a  prisoner  in  the  rebel  camp. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

STEALING  A  LOCOMOTIVE. 

The  young  Yankee  soldier  knew  from  many 
things  that  were  plainly  shown  that  Bragg 
had  gained  the  victory. 

How  else  could  it  have  turned  out  when 
the  rebel  general  had  been  so  heavily  rein- 
forced as  to  swell  his  numbers  to  at  least 
half  as  many  more  men  than  Rosecrans  pos- 
sessed, and  added  to  this  was  the  fact  that 
they  were  fighting  upon  ground  well  known 
to  their  leaders  and  thousands  of  the  men 
themselves,  besides  being  in  a  country  that 
felt  warmly  toward  them. 

All  honor  to  Rosecrans  that  he  held  them 
at  bay  so  long,  quietly  retreating  into  his  in- 
trenchments  at  Chattanooga  when  the  end 
was  inevitable.  All  honor  to  his  noble  gen- 
erals, that  they  performed  their  share  of 
that  bloody  day's  arduous  duties  faithfully ; 
and,  above  a!l,  honor  to  the  brave  boys  in 
the  ranks,  who  faced  death  as  though  they 
were  going  to  a  feast,  and  obeyed  all  orders 
without  a  murmur. 

The  thousands  on  both  sides  who  lay  there 
silent  in  death  were  mute  witnesses  of  the 
terrible  work  done  on  that  fatal  twentieth 
of  September,  and  there  would  be  mourning 
in  many  a  home,  both  North  and  South, 
when  the  death-list  was  read. 

Archie  slept  that  night,  unmindful  of  the 
fact  that  he  was  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of 
the  enemy.  He  was  so  weary  he  could  have 
slept  anywhere,  and  hehad  no  remembrance 
of  dreaming.  Complete  exhaustion  pro- 
duces a  sleep  which  is  the  nearest  possible 
semblance  to  death. 


away. 

They  knew  what  fat«  awaited  them. 

The  rebel  prison  had  not  gained  an  envia- 
ble reputation  in  those  days,  and  there  were 
many  who  had  heard  so  much  of  the  horrors 
to  be  experienced  there  that  they  would 
sooner  have  died  than  to  be  carried  away  to 
Castle  Thunder,  Libby  Prison,  or  any  of  the 
strongholds  where  it  was  customary  to  put 
Union  soldiers. 

Their  journey  was  far  from  being  a  pleas- 
ant one,  as  itjconsisted  of  many  miles  march- 


ing over  rough  country  before  they  reached 
a  point  where  the  railroad  could  be  made 
serviceable  in  order  to  be  shipped  to  Rich- 
mond. 

Archie  had  not  given  up  all  hope  of  ulti- 
mate escape.  His  was  a  spirit  not  easily 
crushed,  and  while  he  had  hfe  he  had  hope. 

In  the  terrible  time  that  lay  before,  him  it 
was  this  indomitable  spirit  that  carried  him 
through  when  thousands,  who  chanced  to  be 
more  despondent,  gave  up  and  died. 

At  some  town  in  Georgia  they  found  the 
railroad  intact,  and  then  the  work  of  load- 
ing the  prisoners  was  begun. 

Every  species  of  car  was  impressed  into  the 
service,  and  the  captives  were  treated  with 
about  the  same  consideration  as  though  they 
had  been  cattle— indeed,  with  haidly  as 
much,  for  their  lives  were  a  burden  to  their 
captors,  while  fat  beeves  would  have  re- 
ceived marked  attention. 

Here  was  where  Archie  thought  he  saw  an 
opportunity  to  escape  from  his  bondage. 

They  had  arrived  at  the  Georgia  town  late 
in  the  afternoon,  and  by  the  time  a  number 
of  cars  of  all  descriptions,  from  the  passen- 
ger to  the  cattle  car,  had  been  impressed 
into  the  service,  it  was  growing  dusk. 

In  the  South,  twilight  is  not  what  we  under- 
stand it  to  be  in  the  North,  for  darkness 
comes   very  soon  after  the  setting  of  King 

It  was  to  b«  expected,  therefore,  that  all 
haste  would  be  made  by  the  rebel  soldiers 
who  had  charge  of  the  many  prisoners,  so  as 
to  get  them  safely  boxed  up  and  on  the  way 
ere  the  hour  grew  late. 

Owing  to  several  reasons,  the  prisoners 
(vere  not  watched  as  closely  as  formeily. 

In  the  first  place,  many  of  their  captors 
were  engaged  in  hunting  and  preparing  cars 
for  their  occupancy.  Again,  both  guards 
and  prisoners  were  weary  fiom  the  many 
miles'  tramp  that  had  been  accomplished 
since  morning.    As  a  third  reason,  why  the 


them  attempt  to  escape,  they  would  be  shot 
dead  upon  the  spot. 

This  threat,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  they 
were  weary  almost  to  death,  was  enough  to 
keep  the  Union  men  from  attempting  es- 
cape. 

They  were  in  a  hostile  country,  the  very 
hotbed  of  Secessia,  and  with  Bragg's  great 
army  overrunning  the  land  between  them- 
selves and  the  army  of  Rosecrans,  there 
seemed  little  or  no  use  of  eluding  their 
guards. 

Besides,  they  were  so  weary  that  even  the 
prospect  of  a  rebel  prison  looming  up  before 
them  did  not  just  then  have  power  to  alarm 
them,  and  many  actually  enjoyed  the  pros- 
pect of  taking  a  ride. 

Archie  was  not  one  of  these. 

He  had  made  up  his  mind  to  escape,  in 
spite  of  all  these  drawbacks,  and  his  eyts 
were  constantly  on  the  lookout  for  the  ex- 
pected and  desired  opportunity. 

It  came  at  last. 

Chance  had  it  that  he  was  stationed  clnsc 
to  the  engine  that  had  been  brought  out  to 
convey  the  train  of  Yankee  prisoners  part  ol 
the  way  on  the  road  to  Richmond,  and  as  u 
brilliant  idea  entered  his  brain,  he  watched 
the  iron  monster  closely. 

He  saw  that  there  was  a  good  head  of  steaui 
on,  and  was  fully  determined  that  if  given 
ijut  half  a  chance,  he  would  steal  that  loco- 
motive or  at  least  make  a  bold  attempt,  no 
matter  what  the  consequences. 

Somehow  or  other  Archie  had  gained  the 
good  will  of  the  rebel  soldiers  acting  as 
guards,  who  had  come  in  contact  with  the 
detachment  to  which  he  belonged,  and  this 
might  serve  him  well  in  case  he  was  seen  be- 
fore well  off,  though  he  did  not  expect  it 
would  save  him  from  being  shot  at. 

At  last  the  chance  he  had  waited  for  with 
so  much  patience  came  and  he  was  ready  to 
seize  it. 

The  engineer  had  evidently  seen  some  one 
among  those  just  back  of  the  locomotive 
with  whom  he  desired  to  hold  a  conversation. 


catch  his  attention,  he  sprung  from  the  cab 
and  plunged  in  among  the  men. 

Perhaps  he  thought  his  fireman  was  in  the 
cab,  but  in  this  he  was  mistaken,  as  that 
worthy  was  oiling  some  of  the  portions  of 
the  iron  steed  and  standing  upon  the  cow- 
catcher. 

With  a  couple  of  leaps  Archie  Gordon  had 
gained  the  side  of  the  locomotive,  and  up  to 
that  time  no  one  had  paid  any  attention  to 
his  movements. 

To  spring  into  the  cab  was  but  the  work  of 
a  few  seconds. 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


Then  his  baud  was  upon  the  lever,  and  im- 
mediately he  opened  the  throttle. 

There  was  a  movement  of  the  great  iron 
steed,  which,  however,  was  not  noticed  par- 
ticularly, as  it  was  taken  for  granted  that  the 
«ngineer,  fireman,  or  some  one  in  authority 
was  doing  the  work. 

As  Archie  opened  the  throttle  still  wider, 
the  locomotive  began  to  mo  ve  rapidly,  and  it 
was  at  this  moment  the  discovery  was  made 
that  a  man  wearing  the  Union  blue  stood  in 
the  cab,  and  that  it  was  the  real  engineer, 
who,  dashing  out  of  the  crowd  ran  after  the 
fleeing  engine — now  rapidly  gaining  headway 
— waving  his  arms  frantically  and  yelling  for 
it  to  stop. 

The  daring  soldier  realized  what  would 
come  now,  for  although  the  locomotive  was 
going  too  fast  for  any  man  to  clamber  upon 
\t,  there  were  rebel  guards  along  the  track. 

fie  crouched  low. 

U  was  well,  for  several  guns  sounded,  and 
th  e  b  II  nets  tore  through  the  cab.  Had  he  re- 
gained erect,  he  would  undoubtedly  have 
been  pierced  through  and  through  by  this 
rebel  lead. 


aew  nothing  whatever  of  the  track 
before  him,  and  although  it  was  to  be  pre- 
sumed that  information  had  been  sent  along 


at  any  moment,  he  might  run  off  an  open 
switch  or  turn  into  one  where  the  locomo- 
tive would  be  wrecked. 

All  of  these  chances  he  took. 

It  death  was  to  come  to  him  it  would  be 
nothing  more  than  he  had  expected  upon 
the  bloody  field  of  Chickamauga,  and  siu-ely 
it  was  much  more  preferable  to  die  instantly 
in  a  blaze  of  glory  than  to  suffer  in  a  rebel 


All  seemed  fair  before  him,  and  his  hopes 
arose,  though  they  did  not  overwhelm  him. 

It  was  simply  his  intention  to  ruu  a  few 
miles  from  the  town,  and  then  leave  the 
locomotive,  though  he  believed  it  would  be 
proper  and  just  to  reverse  the  lever  as  he 
sprung  out  of  the  cab,  and  send  the  engine 
back  like  a  rocket  whence  it  came,  doing 
what  damage  he  possibly  could  to  th  e  cause 
of  the  Confederacy. 

This  was  a  neat  little  plan  in  theory. 

That  he  failed  to  eventually  carry  it  out 
■was  not  the  fault  of  the  young  soldier. 

When  five  minutes  had  gone  by  since  he 
leaped  upon  the  engine,  he  believed  he  had 
gone  far  enough. 

The  locomotive  was  rocking  from  side  to 
side  with  the  swiftness  of  its  flight,  and  he 
believed  he  must  be  fully  five  miles  from  the 
spot  where  he  had  taken  French  leave  of  his 
captors. 

He  gradually  slackened  its  pace,  and  was 
then  able  to  see  that  on  both  sides  of  the 
track  were  dark  pine  woods. 

This  was  just  as  he  would  have  wished  had 
he  been  granted  a  request,  for  it  was  his  in- 
tention to  hide  himself  among  the  trees  until 
the  rebel  soldiers  had  left  the  vicinity  prey- 
iug  upon  neighboring  houses  for  food,  and 
then  making  his  way  back  to  the  scene  of 
the  late  battle,  where  he  hoped  to  join  the 
Union  forces  at  Chattanooga. 

When  the  locomotive  came  to  a  stop  he 
stood  there  for  a  brief  period,  as  if  fully  de- 
termining upon  his  plans  before  leaving  the 
friendly  cab. 

Fatal  inaction. 

Even  as  he  stood,  a  voice,  hoarse  with 
malignant  triumph,  broke  in  upon  him  : 

"Reverse  that  lever,  you  runaway  Yan- 
kee!" 


light  of  a  lamp  used  for  seeing  the  steam 
gauge,  Archie  saw  a  revolver  brought  on  a 
line  with  his  head. 

It  was  the  rebel  fireman. 

He  had  entirely  forgotten  his  existence ; 
and  the  fellow,  when  he  learned  what  was 
up,  had  clung  to  the  forepart  of  the  locomo- 
tive for  dear  life  until  the  frightful  speed 
was  abated  in  some  degree,  when  he  had 
managed  to  creep  along  the  side,  and  thus 
make  his  appearance  at  the  inopportune 
moment. 

He  rather   enjoyed   the  situation  as  the 

frim   smile   upon   his    oily    face   declared, 
ul    you  may  be  sure  Archie  Gordon  did 
not. 

Seeing  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  that 
he  must   make   a  virtue  of   necessity,  the 
young  soldier  laughed  heartily  at  the  man- 
ner in  which  he  had  been  caught. 
TJiou^h  he  would  have  given   much   to 


have  leaped  over  into  the  bushes  that  lined 
the  track,  he  saw  that  the  burly  fireman 
was  not  the  man  to  be  trifled  with,  and  that 
the  best  thing  he  could  do  would  be  to  hu- 
mor him. 

At  the  least,  he  had  had  quite  a  little  dash, 
and  had  enjoyed  the  e.xhilaration. 

What  the  rebel  guards  would  do  about  it, 
he  could  not,  of  course,  say ;  but,  as  no  dam- 
age had  been  done,  and  he  was  again  a  cap- 
tive, they  would  not  be  apt  to  murder 
him. 

The  lever  was  reversed,  and  back  toward 
the  Georgia  town  they  went. 

Some  fifteen  minutes  after  the  dash  had 
been  made,  the  rebel  leaders,  consulting  in 
perple.\ity  where  they  were  to  obtain  another 
locomotive  to  take  the  train  away,  heard  a 
rumble  gradually  approaching,  followed  by 
several  long  whistles;  and,  while  they  stood 
there  almost  unable  to  believe  their  eyes, 
the  locomotive  that  had  run  away  slowed 


lever,  and  the  fireman  half  through  the 
cab  window  keeping  his  revolver  on  a  line 
with  Archie's  head. 

The  safe  return  of  the  engine  so  pleased 
the  rebels  that  they  condoned  Archie's  of- 
fense, though  he  was  distinctly  warned  that 
another  such  prank  would  surely  cost  him 
his  life. 

Although  the  engineer  was  wrathy,  and 
would  have  liked  much  to  have  pummeled 
the  man  who  had  run  off  with  his  iron 
horse,  one  look  at  Archie's  well  knit  figure 
caused  him  to  think  better  of  it,  and  he 
took  it  out  in  curses  until  ordered  to  his 
cab. 

Fate  is  very  uncertain,  and  thus  it  came  to 
pass  that,  after  all,  Archie  was  one  of  those 
Yankee  prisoners  who  started  on  that  train 
for  Richmond. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

LIBBY  PRISON. 

Over  the  door  of  this  historic  old  building 
in  the  Confederate  capital  might  well  have 
been  inscribed  those  terrible  words : 

"  Who  enters  here  leaves  hope  behind !" 

Many  a  poor  fellow  walked  into  Libby 
prison  never  to  leave  it  until  he  was  carried 
out  to  the  dead  wagon,  that  made  its  regular 
rounds,  and  buried  in  a  trench  along  with 
others  whom  fortune  had  frowned  upon.* 

When  Archie  Gordon  saw  the  inside  of 
Libby  for  the  first  time  it  can  readily  be 
understood  by  those  of  the  boys  in  blue  who 
were  there  that  he  was  not  favorably  im- 
pressed with  his  surroundings. 

The  air  was  nauseating  to  one  who  had 
been  used  to  breathing  the  pure  atmosphere 
of  heaven,  and  misery  surrounded  him, 
squalid,  wretched  misery. 

At  this  time  the  great  rebel  prisons  were 
overcrowded  with  the  prisoners  captured  in 
late  victorious  encounters.  From  the  West 
came  thousands  of  hapless  boys  in  blue. 
Some  time  before,  Bragg  made  his  famous 
raid  into  Kentucky  and  captured  large 
numbers  of  the  Federal  forces. 

It  was  now  late  in  the  year  '63,  and  there 
was  soon  to  be  afforded  relief  to  the  over- 
loaded prisons  of  Richmond  and  Salisbury. 

There  was  building  at  Andersonville, 
Georgia,  the  famous  prison  pen,  which  has 
since  become  a  synonym  for  all  that  is  bar- 
barous and  cruel,  and  ere  long  the  unfortu- 
nate denizens  of  the  rebel  prisons  would 
have  to  look  upon  their  former  prison  life  as 
lu.xury  compared  to  the  torments  of  that 
hell-hole. 

As  the  prisoners  of  the  Confederacy  were 
accumulating  so  fast,  and  were  congregat- 
ing at  and  near  the  center  of  their  military 
operations  at  one  extremity  of  the  rebel 
country,  exposed  to  recapture.and  requiring 
the  detail  of  a  large  force  for  their  safe  keep- 
ing, it  was  in  truth  a  heavy  burden  upon 
the  Confederates. 

The  greatest  disadvantage,  however,  aris- 
ing from  the  concentration  of  so  many  pris- 
oners at  the  seat  of  the  Confederate  govern- 
ment, was  the  consumption  of  provisions 
destined  for  their  army,  and  hence  in  view 
of  possible  and  probable  emergencies  it  was 
determinetl  upon  building  a  pen  at  Ander- 
sonville which  would  hold  ten  or  twenty 
thousand. 

Of  this  we  shall  have  more  to  say  here- 
after, when  the  exciting  episodes  of  our 
story  bring  us  to  that  place  of  suffering  and 
death. 

Archie's  stay  in  Libby  prison  was  not 
marked  by  any  unusual  event  that  happened 
to  himself,  but   he    was   witness  to  several 


•Old  Libby  is  now  In  the  posBesalon  of  a 
companj.  and  the  flaKstaff  that  stood 
building  ts  sold  to  visitors  at  a  dollar 


long  above  the 


scenes  of  cruelty  whereby  rash  Federals  lost 
their  lives  because  of  disobeying  the  injunc- 
tions put  upon  them,  being  shot  by  the 
tyranical  guards  for  some  trifling  misde- 
meanor. 

Early  one  morning,  just*ef  ore  dawn,  they 
were  aroused  from  slumber  by  a  sudden 
shufQing  noise,  the  rattle  of  muskets  as  they 
were  discharged  and  the  shouts  of  men. 

At  first  they  knew  not  what  to  make  of 
it,  but  soon  the  news  went  round,  coming 
from  those  who  had  been  in  the  secret. 

Three  daring  fellows  had  determined  to 
risk  all  in  an  endeavor  to  escape. 

They  had  made  a  saw  out  of  an  old  case 
knife,  and  for  weeks  past  had  been  engaged 
in  sawing  a  hole  through  the  heavy  floor 
into  the  cellar  beneath. 

This  had  been  done  so  cautiously,  one 
stroke  at  a  time,  that  even  the  Federal  pris- 
oners did  not  know  of  it  though  they  were 
all  around. 

There  were  spies  and  Southern  sympathiz- 
ers among  them,  so  that  it  would  never  do 
to  trust  a  secret  far. 

When  the  square  piece  was  eventually  cut 
through  one  night,  taking  advantage  of  the 
darkness,  two  of  the  daring  fellows  went 
below,  while  the  third  screened  the  hole 
with  his  blanket  upon  which  he  lay. 

All  the  remainder  of  the  night  the  two 
men  below  worked  in  the  endeavor  to  tun- 
nel out,  coming  up  just  before  dawn.  The 
block  was  secured  firmly  in  the  hole,  but 
one  of  them  managed  to  be  lying  at  that 
point  at  all  times  during  the  day,  taking 
turns  at  this  job,  so  that  there  was  no  dis- 
covery made. 

Night  after  night  this  work  went  on. 

Finally,  they  knew  that  a  few  hours  would 
finish  it,  and  when  the  whole  three  of  them 
went  down  below,  a  comrade  volunteering 
to  shield  the  hole  with  his  blanket  until 
dawn,  they  bore  with  them  a  dozen  messages 
from  their  friends. 

It  was  not  far  from  morning  when  the  end 
came,  and  their  tunnel  was  complete. 

Then  came  the  rush  upon  the  guards  with- 
out, and  the  plunge  into  the  cold  waters  of 
the  James  River. 

Is  was  a  long  time  afterward  that  their 
fate  was  known  to  those  they  left  behind 
them. 

They  were  chased  like  foxes  far  and  near, 
hunted  night  and  day,  and  finally  one  of 
their  number  was  shot,  but  the  other  two 
eventually  gained  the  Union  lines,  and  if 
alive  to-day  will  recall  again  the  memory 
of  that  daring   escape  while  reading  the«« 

Archie  was  given  no  opportunity  to  es- 
cape. 

Some  of  those  who  had  been  guards  of  tha 
prisoners  taken  at  Chickamauga  were  now  on 
duty  at  the  prison,  and  they,  having  formed 
'     '  mng  soldier,  had 

daring  escapade 
with  the  locomotive  in  that  Georgia  town, 
so  that  to  tell  the  truth  he  was  .a  marked 
man. 

Feeling  confident  that  if  any  attempt  at 
escape  was  made  he  would  be  in  it,  they 
watched  him  like  a  lynx,  hoping  in  this  way 
to  get  track  of  what  was  going  on. 

In  this  way,  Archie,  knowing  he  was  a 
marked  man,  determined  not  to  join 
any  such  league  for  escape,  for  fear  lest  ho 
should  endanger  his  friends. 

This  isolation  lasted  while  he  was  confined 
in  Libby  prison,  which  was  for  a  period  of 
two  months. 

Then  he  was  transferred  to  Castle  Thunder, 
as  Libby  was  overcrowded. 

Here  he  met  new  men,  and  at  the  same 
time  several  old  comrades,  whom  he  waj 
pleased  and,  at  the   same  time,  sorry  to  see. 

As  his  reputation  had  failed  to  come  witk 
him,  Archie  now  enjoyed  a  feeling  of  liberty, 
and  the  fact  that  he  was  given  no  more  no- 
tice than  the  other  members  of  the  prison 
was  a  source  of  much  satisfaction  to  him. 

Thus  the  winter  of  '63  and  '64  was   passed. 

When  Archie  was  captured  he  had  not  been 
immediately  searched,  and  he  had  taken  ad- 
vantage of  this  respite  to  hide  all  the  ready 
money  he  possessed  where  it  would  not  very 
likely  be  found. 

The  wisdom  of  this  course  was  now  seen, 
for  there  were  times  when  he  was  able  to 
provide  himself  with  some  of  the  necessaries 
of  life,  though  to  the  ragged,  unkempt  men 
who  had  been  in  these  prisons  ever  since  the 
battles  of  Bull  Run  and  Manassas,  they  were 
luxuries  that '  had  long  since  been  denied 
them. 

These  unfortunates  were  wfld-looking 
characters,  withgaimtforms,  unkempt, wiry 
hair,  dirt^begrimed  faces  and  hollow  eyes. 

Their  clothing  was  in  shreds,  their  foot- 


THE  WAR  LIBRA.RV__ 


gear  a  hollow  mockery,  and  few  possessed  a 
a  coat  or  a  greasy  blanket. 

What  little  money  they  may  have  once  had 
was  long  since  expended,  and  after  that  time 
they  had  simply  existed.  Still,  their  spirits 
were  undaunted. 

Early  in  February,  a  selection  was  made 
of  these  veteran  prisoners  for  a  detachment 
that  was  intended  to  open  the  prison  pen  at 
Andersouville,  in  Southwestern  Georgia. 

About  eight  hundred  and  fifty  were  sent, 
and  a  more  deplorable  gang  of  human  be- 
ings the  sun  never  shone  upon. 

Of  that  famous  prison  pen  we  shall  have 
more  to  say  hereafter,  when  our  brave  sol- 
dier boy  finds  himself  behind  the  stockade. 

These  veterans  shouldered  their  meager 
bundles,  and  marched  from  the  cars  to  the 
stockade,  unmindful  of  the  derisive  shouts 
and  jeers  of  the  insulting  rabble  that  had 
gathered  to  see  them. 

Among  them,  the  historian  tells  us,  were 
"  two  Russians,  old  war  men^  who  had  faced 
the  storm  of  battle  in  the  Crimea  ;  and  their 
bronzed  faces  looked  as  though  they  could 
face  yet  other  storms,  while  their  stalwart 
forms  endorsed  the  pledge  tlieir  countenaneeB 
gave." 

As  the  column  passed  through  the  gates 
they  halted  to  survey  in  surprise  their  future 
quarters,  aud  one,  turning  to  a  guard, 
asked ; 

"  Hillo- what's  this  ?" 

"  Your  prisiin,"  replied  ue  soldier;  "and 
I  reckon  you'll  stay  here  awhile." 

"Prison,"  ejaculated  the  Muscovite,  with 
scorn,  "  iu  my  laud  they  wouldn't  put  a  hog 
in  such  a  place." 

"  You'd  better  have  stayed  there,  then," 
rejoined  the  Confederate.  "What  did  you 
come  here  for?" 

"  To  teach  you  how  to  treat  a  prisoner  of 
war  decently,"  said  the  Russian,  as  he  proud- 
ly limped  by  his  rude  guardian. 

Of  such  mettle  were  thousands  of  those 
war-dogs,  whom  the  misfortune  of  battle 
had  placed  in  the  power  of  their  enemies, 
and  yet  whom  the  tortures  of  the  Inquisition 
could  not  have  broken  in  spirit. 

When  the  Richmond  prisons  had  dis- 
gorged some  of  their  Inmates,  it  made  it  more 
bearable  for  those  left  behind ;  and  yet  no 
man  knew  when  his  name  would  appear 
upon  the  roll,  and  himself  be  sent  off  to  that 
mysterious  poison  of  which  they  had  heard 
rumors,  yet  the  location  of  which  was  utter- 
ly unknown  to  them. 

In  Castle  Thunder  Archie  fell  in  with  a 
company  of  men  who  had  been  in  prison  for 
nearly  two  years,  and  who  had  firmly  re- 
solved to  escape  or  die  in  the  attempt. 

Several  of  them  had  families  in  the  North, 
who  had,  perhaps,  long  since  given  them  up 
for  dead  ;  and  it  was  the  overwhelming  de- 
sire to  see  those  whom  they  loved,  that 
made  desperate  these  men,  who,  as  a  usual 
thing,  were  apt  to  be  careful  of  their  lives, 
though  always  brave  to  the  backbone. 

It  was  a  hard  thing  to  work  without  being 
observed  by  their  guards,  but  men  in  such 
oases  often  prove  as  cunning  as  foxes,  and  as 
they  only  attempted  a  smiU  amount  of 
work  each  night  they  kept  up  hope. 

They  were  in  the  lower  part  of  the  build- 
ing, and  the  only  means  of  escape  would  be 
through  a  tunnel. 

It  was  found  after  a  time  that  several  of 
the  stones  could  be  reirjoved  and  replaced 
wilhout  showing  the  fact,  and  when  dark-; 
ness  lasi  ed,  these  seven  men  took  turns  in 
watching  and  working. 

There  was  a  plank  flooi  in  the  place,  and 
underneath  this  about  two  feet  of  space. 

One  of  these  planks  could  be  lifted  enough 
to  deposit  all  the  dirt  exhumed  in  their 
labor  underneath,  and  when  dawn  came 
every  particle  that  would  be  apt  to  betray 
them,  was  carefully  put  out  of  sight. 


Though  they  were  in  a  terrible  state  of  ex- 
citement all  day  long,  they  did  their  best  to 
hide  it  by  pretending  to  sleep ;  but  it  was 
only  the  thoughttul  and  farseelng  ones 
among  them  who  managed  to  woo  the  gen- 
tle goddess  of  slumber. 

Night  came  at  last. 

Still,  hours  must  pass  by  ere  they  dared 
commence  work,  for  now  that  the  tunnel 
was  so  near  completion  they  could  not  afford 
to  run  the  risk  of  failure  because  of  im- 
patience. 

At  length,  however,  their  leader,  a  griz- 
zled old  war-dog,  who  had  fought  in  the 
Mexican  war,  announce.  I  that  the  hour  was 
at  hand. 

The  blocks  of  stone  were  removed,  and 
one  after  another  they  entered  the  tunnel 
—the  work  of  three  months. 

The  last  man  in,  replaced  the  stones  with 
much  precision  that  it  would  have  been 


Night  after  night  the  good  work  went  on, 
and  they  felt  that  the  d(    '  '  '" 

not  be  far  away 


hour  could 


Still  they  retained  their  usual  calmness, 
and  acted  as  though  nothing  unusual  was  in 
the  air,  though  it  might  have  been  noticed 
that  they  slept  a  great  deal  during  the  day ; 
however,  men  without  exercise  grow  lazy, 
and  many  of  them  ilept  two-thirds  of  the 
time. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE   ESCAPE     FROM     CASTLE   THUNDER. 

Every  day  must  have  its  end,  and  though 
suspense  may  apparently  stretch  it  out  in- 
terminably, still,  the  night  comes  at  last. 

To  the  seven  Union  prisoners,  there  came 
just  such  a  day  wheu  the  very  minutes  seem- 
ed hours,  and  time  was  weighted  as  if  iron- 
shod. 

Their  tu»n»l  was  so  nearly  done  that  a  few 


woe,  and  having  burned  their  ships  behind 
them,  could  only  press  forward  hoping  for 
the  best. 

Tapping  the  tunnel  was  an  exceedingly 
risky  piece  of  business,  for  all  their  calcula- 
tions might  fall  short,  and  the  work  be 
ruined. 

The  old  veteran  had  not  kept  his  eyes 
open  and  his  brain  clear  for  nothing,  how- 
ever, during  his  long  residence  in  tho  Con- 
federate prison,  and,  so  far  as  tapping  the 
tunnel  successfully  was  concerned,  all  went 
well. 

What  little  earth  i  emained  to  be  disposed 
of  was  scattered  along  the  tunnel,  and  bank- 
ed up  against  the  rocks  in  the  rear,  when  it 
was  whispered  along  the  line  that  the  open- 
ing had  been  tapped  and  all  was  well. 

The  tunnel  emerged  outside  the  prison  wall, 
and  in  a  vacant  lot. 

They  could  plainly  hear  the  tread  of  the 
rebel  sentry  at  that  point,  and  once  he  came 
so  close  that  his  form  was  outlined  against 
the  sky,  but  he  apparently  had  no  huspicioii 
of  what  was  going  on,  though  his  proximity 
would  necessitate  renewed  caution  on  the 
part  of  the  escaping  prisoners. 

When  the  opening  was  large  enough,  the 
veteran  watched  his  opportunity,  and  when 
the  sentry  was  at  the  other  end  of  his  beat 
he  crawled  out,  flattening  himself  upon  the 
ground  with  his  head  in  close  juxtaposition 
to  the  liole,  so  that  he  could  direct  he  others 
in  whispers. 
They  had  planned  well. 
The  night  was  as  dark  as  Egypt,  there  be- 
ing no  moon,  and  one  man  could  not  see  the 
outlines  of  another  five  feet  away,  unless  he 
chanced  to  be  crouching,  and  had  the  other 
against  a  heavenly  background. 

The  stars  twinkled  in  the  blue  dome  over- 
head, but  they  barely  gave  any  light. 

A  better  night  it  could  not  have  been  for 
their  purpose,  even  it  they  had  had  the 
making  of  it,  and  this  auspicious  beginning 
stirred  up  hope  witliiu  their  breasts. 

Perhaps  fate  would  be  kind  to  them  and 
take  them  out  of  the  power  of  (he  rebels. 

To  escape  from  Castle  Thunder  was  one 
thing— to  successfully  reach  the  Union  lines, 
when  many  weary  miles  of  hostile  country, 
and  a  great  hostile  army  lay  between  them, 
was  another. 

However,  they  had  known  all  along,  the 
risk  they  were  running,  and  that  as  soon  as 
they  left  the  shelter  of  the  prison,  it  was 
virtually  taking  their  lives  iu  their  hands ; 
but  it  was  firmly  believed  that  in  the  end, 
they  were  fated  to  die  in  a  rebel  prison,  un- 
less some  such  risk  was  incurred,  so  the  fact 
that  they  were  now  embarked  upon  the  en- 
terprise, only  gave  them  one  thrill  as  they 
left  the  tunnel. 

One  by  one  they  crawled  out  of  the  open- 
ing, and  flattened  themselves  upon  the 
ground  beside  the  old  war-dog,  who  had  con- 
stituted himself  a  leader. 

To  those  who  had  been  in  prison  so  long, 
the  mere  fact  that  they  were  now  free,  was 
enough  to  make  the  blood  leap  like  molten 
lava  through  their  veins,  and  for  the  time, 
they  gave  themselves  up  to  the  most  deli- 
cious fancies. 

What  mattered  it  to  them  that  danger  and 
death  lurked  in  their  path— that  they  must 
be  hunted  by  men  and  bloodhounds,  per- 
haps, doomed  to  be  torn  to  pieces  ?  They 
were  no  longer  encircled  by  the  hated,  damp 
prison  walls,  were  no  longer  subject  to  the 
insults  of  the  rebel  guards,  but  could  breathe 
Cod's  pure  air. 


How  they  took  in  huge  draughts  of  the 
smoky  atmosphere  with  keen  relish. 

Poor  wretches!  Perhaps  it  would  have 
been  better  for  them  had  they  been  con- 
tent to  remain  where  they  had  been  so  long, 
awaiting  exchange,  or  the  close  of  the  war, 
for  their  escape  must  soon  be  discovered, 
and  then  the  hellhounds  of  the  Confeder- 
acv,  would  be  unloosed  to  hunt  them  down. 
When  all  had  gained  the  open  air,  they 
only  waited  until  the  .sentry  once  more  mov- 
ed away,  and  theu  they  crept  off,  not  daring 
to  arise  to  their  feet  until  Castle  Thunder 
no  longer  loomed  up  against  the  star-stud- 
ded sky,  a  hateful  object  to  their  gaze. 

Before  them  was  liberty— behind,  all  the 
abhorred  accessories  of  slavery  and  prison 
life. 

They  would  be  surrounded  by  dangers; 
but  with  the  hope  of  ultimately  reaching 
the  Union  Hues,  these  things  would  sink  into 
in.signiflcance.  Men  before  them  had  brav- 
ed these  same  dangers,  and  had  gained  the 
goal.  Why  should  not  they  be  as  fortu- 
nate? 
Not  far  did  they  go. 

Under  an  old  shed  they  came  to  a  halt, 
and  held  a  low-toned  consultation. 

Thev  had  had  no  reason  to  regret  having 
allowed  the  veteran  to  be  their  leader,  and 
now,  at  this  time  of  parting,  it  was  only  fair 
that  he  should  advise  them. 

It  had  all  along  been  understood  that  they 
were  to  separate  into  smaller  bauds,  if  for- 
tune was  kind  enough  to  allow'  them  to 
reach  the  outer  woild  iu  safety. 
There  was  reason  in  this. 
Should  they  remain  together,  they  could 
be  tracked  the  more  easily,  aud  if  one  was 
captured,  the  chances  were  that  the  others 
would  be  bagged  at  the  same  time,  while  if 
they  divided  up  into  small  companies,  some 
of  them  would  have  a  good  chance  of  getting 
through  in  safety. 

It  was  decided  that  Archie  and  another 
were  to  strike  off,  in  company  with  old  Cor- 
ney,  the  veteran,  while  the  others  went  in 
couples. 

The  veteran  explained  three  routes  as  well 
iis  he  could,  aud  let  (h.m  have  their  choice, 
which  was  noble  and  magnanimous  of  him, 
as  he  might  easily  have  taken  the  best  route 
for  himself,  whereas  in  this  way  he  let 
chance  decide  it. 
Little  more  could  belaid. 


Daylight  would  be  at  hand  in  a  few  hours, 
and  discovery  of  their  escape  might  come 
even  before,  through  the  sentry  stepping 
into  the  hole  that  had  been  made  when  the 
tunnel  was  tapped,  and  hence  delay  was 
dangerous  to  them. 

They  disliked  parting. 

For  months  they  had  cast  their  fortunes 
together,  had  worked  in  the  tunnel,  and 
lain  down  to  sleep  side  by  side,  sharing 
everything,  so  that  it  was  only  to  be  expect- 
ed that  they  would  feel  attached  to  each 
other. 

A  few  last  and  hasty  directions  were 
given,  aud  good-by  handshakes  exchanged. 

Then  they  went  out  from  the  shed,  walk- 
ed to  the  cross-roads,  aud  separated,  head- 
ingin  different  directions. 

Would  they  ever  meet  again? 


CHAPTER  IX. 

HUNTED  YANKEES. 

Having  given  the  others  their  choice  of 
roads,  it  was  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  old 
Corney  and  his  two  companions  had  the 
worst  route  of  llic  three,  though  no  one  but 
the  veteran  knew  tliis  fact. 

Their  course  led  them  due  north,  and  such 
being  the  case,  they  must  expect  the  most 
vigorous  pursuit,  for  the  rebels  would  natur- 
ally take  it  for  granted  that  their  pursuit 
must  tend  in  that  direction. 

One  of  the  other  couples  had  gone  west,  and 
theotheralmostsouth,it  being  their  intention 
to  gradually  veer  around,  so  as  to  aim  for 
the  Potomac  after  they  had  left  Richmond 
far  in  the  rear. 

Although  they  must  necessarily  meet  wiili 
many  adventures,  aud  run  unlimited  risk- 
while  in  the  hostile  country,  still  they  would, 
in  all  probability,  be  saved  the  hot  chase  in 
the  beginning  that  would  fall  to  the  share  ot 
those  who  were  compelled,  by  their  agrtt- 
meut,  to  take  the  direct  road  north. 

As  has  been  said  before,  the  night  was  one 
of  extreme  darkness,  and  though  this  had 
been  in  their  favor  while  making  the  escape, 
it  was  not  so  later  on,  for  they  could  ouly 
with  extreme  difliculty  keep  the  road. 

Then  again,  there  was  much  danger  of  then- 
running  plump  into  some  one  coming  the 
other  way ;  and  as  sigh  t  was  of  no  avail,  they 
were  compelled  to  strain  their  powers  ol 
hearing  to  an  almost  incredible  extent. 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


Twice  within  the  first  fifteen  minutes  had 
they  been  compelled  to  hastily  crouch  down 
among  the  bushes  lining  the  road. 

On  the  first  occasion  the  veteran  had 
caught  a  suspicious  murmur  of  voices,  and 
dragged  his  comrades  down  just  in  time  to 
avoid  being  run  into  byseveral  negroes,  who 
:  might  have  unwittingly  given  the  alarm,  had 
I  they  seen  our  fugitives,  and  they  knew  full 
well  the  chase  would  begin  soon  enough. 

In  the  second  place  they  had  heard  the 

■  heavy  trampling  of  a  body  of  horses,  and 
I  were  gi^  en  ample  time  to  get  out  of  the  way 
I  before  the  squad  of  mounted  Confederates 

rode  by. 

■  Short  work  would  have  been  made  of  them 
I  had  they  been  discovered  by  these  fire-eaters, 

and  they  pressed  on,  when  the  danger  was 
passed,  with  renewed  energy. 

The  road  was  a  good  one,  though  appar- 
ently well  traveled  by  the  army,  as  it  led 
straight  from  the  Confederate  capital  to  the 
rebel  army  of  Virginia. 

Again  and  again  were  our  friends  com- 
pelled to  hide,  either  because  of  approach- 
ing horsemen,  or  persons  on  foot— soldiers  in 
gray,  who  had  been  off  on  various  expedi- 
tions, hunting  recruits  or  deserters,  or  at- 
tending to  the  manifold  duties  which  the 
exigency  of  the  times  was  apt  to  render  im- 
perative. 

Thus  several  hours  passed. 

The  three  meu  walked  steadily,  and  had 
placed  qnite  a  uumlMsr  of  miles  betweeu 
themselves  and  Richmond  in  this  space  of 
time. 

They  knew  full  well,  however,  that  when 
pursuit  was  made  it  woula  be  a  vigorous  oin , 
-nd  that  if  their  foes  could  but  get  u 


When  the  first  streaks  of  dawn  appeared, 
they  would  be  compelled  to  leave  the  road 
ancf  secrete  themselves  in  someplace  for  the 
day,  trusting  to  good  fortune  to  supply  them 
with  food  so  as  to  keep  body  and  soul  to- 
gethr- 


sound  of  galloping  horses  once  more  reached 
their  ears. 
This  time  there  was  more  reason  for  alarm. 
The  sounds  came  from  their  rear,  and  al- 
though there  might  not  be  anything  back  of 
this,  a  cold  chill  struck  the  escaped  prisoners 
of  war  as  the  idea  that  their  escape  had  al- 
ready been  discovered  and  pursuit  made 
flashed  into  their  minds. 

As  they  hastilysought  shelter  among  the 
trees,  Archie  thought  he  heard  a  rustling  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  road,  but  paid  little 
attention  to  the  fact,  believing  that  he  might 
be  mistaken,  or  else  the  noise  was  made  by 
some  bird. 

No  sooner  had  they  secreted  themselves  a 
dozen  yards  from  the  road  than  they  be- 
came aware  of  the  fact  that  from  the  oppo- 
site direction  there  also  came  the  sound  of 
horses'  hoofs  beating  upon  the  hard  road. 

At  first  they  fancied  this  must  be  an  echo, 
but  the  longer  they  listened  the  more  as- 
sured they  became  that  it  was  really  so. 

The  veteran  had  with  his  comrades  re- 
moved somewhat  further  from  the  road 
than  had  heretofore  been  done,  simply  be- 
cause the  v"    '    '   '  '  

way  to  the 
had  suddf 
of  hearin_ 

turning  to  his  comrades  he  was  somewhat 
astonished  to  see  them  plainly  outlined  so 
that  at  a  distance  of  two  yards  he  could  dis- 
tinguish them  apart. 

Nearer  came  the  sounds. 

At  length  they  suddenly  ceased,  words 
were  uttered  undoubtedly  as  a  hail,  and 
both  bodies  of  horsemen  had  come  to  a  halt 
directly  in  front  of  where  our  friends  were 
lying  in  concealment. 

They  exchanged  salutations,  by  which  it 
was  made  plain  that  the  respective  leaders 
were  a  major  and  a  captain,  the  former 
having  charge  of  a  squad  that  had  recently 
left  the  rebel  capital. 

"Any  news  at  headquarters?"  asked  the 
major,  who  had  evidently  been  with  the 
army  upon  the  field  and  was  now  on  his  way 
to  Richmond  on  diplomatic  business. 

"  Nothing  of  much  moment.  By  the  way, 
have  you  seen  any  stragglers  upon  the  road 
within  the  last  few  hours.  Seven  Yankees 
have  escaped  to-night  from  Castle  Thunder, 
and  the  whole  country  this  way,  is  being 
scoured  for  them.  That  is  my  present  er- 
rand." 

The  three  fugitives  in  the  bushes  caught 


progress. 

"Indeed!"  ejaculated  the  cavalry 
on  his  way  to  the  capital,   "  how  did 


when  I  left,  and  the  only  fact  known 
that  seven  of  the  cursed  Yanks  had  tunneled 
out  and  were  gone.  The  sentry,  in  walking 
his  beat  chanced  to  go  a  little  outside  of  his 
usual  walk  and  fell  into  the  hole  they  had 
made  while  tapping  their  infernal  tunnel. 
Of  course  the  alarm  was  at  once  given  and 
detachments  sent  out  to  hunt  them  down. 
It  would  do  my  heart  good  to  see  them  shot 
like  crows.  What  right  have  the  dogs  to 
disturb  the  rest  of  a  Virginian  officer  and 
gentleman." 

More  words  were  exchanged,  and  then  it 
seemed  that  the  detachments  were  about  to 


"  And  who  in  the  fiend's  name  are  you,  my 
fine  fellow  ?"  asked  the  major,  his  hand 
resting  on  his  sword  as  he  bent  low  in  the 
saddle  and  endeavored  to  scrutinize  the  fel- 
low's face  in  the  dim  light,  an  uncertain  and 
equally  unsatisfactory  task  at  best. 

"  I  recognize  your  voice  as  that  of  Major 

Thurber    of    the  Maryland   regiment. 

Don't  you  remember  Silas  Keene,  major?" 
asked  the  man. 

The  major  uttered  an  oath. 

"Pardon  my  language,  my  good  man,  but 
under  the  circnmstanees  how  was  I  to  know 
but    what   it   was   one   of   those   self-same 


thankful  for  any  information  you  may  see 
fit  to  give  him  with  respect  to  those  whom 
he  hunts.    Am  I  not  right,  captain  ?" 

"  Assuredly,  since  I  recognize  the  name 
of  this  man  as  belonging  to  one  of  the  most 
noted  of  Confederate  scouts.  What  news, 
friend?" 

"  You  mention  seven  men,  but  I  saw  only 
three.  That  they  were  Yankees  I  knew  full 
well  from  their  dress  and  words  which  they 
let  fall,  besides,  two  of  them  were  tattered 
and  torn  like  men  who  had  seen  long  im- 
prisonment, as  one  had  an  immeuse  long 
beard  which  looked  to  me  in  the  morning 


Right  on  this  spot,  hardly  five  minutes 
ago,  and  if  I  mistake  not,  they  are  at  this 


part  ill  such  an  exciting  hunt  where  the 
quarry  was  human. 

The  troopers  searched  well,  and  their 
bright  sabers  were  plunged  into  every  dark 
clump  of  bushes  that  defied  other  investiga- 
tion. 

Scattered  as  the  rebels  were,  it  would  have 
gone  hard  with  the  three  fugitives  had  they 
remained  anywhere  near  by,  for  they  must 
have  inevitably  been  captured. 

Old  Corney,  however,  had  led  them  deep 
into  the  wood,  keeping  beyond  the  line  of 
troopers. 

Which  way  he  was  going  he  knew  not,  for 
the  trees  were  too  dense  overhead  to  take 
his  bearings  by  the  stars.  He  only  knew 
that  the  sounds, of  the  hunt  had  gradually 
died  away,  and  when  in  the  course  of  time 
they  once  more  struck  a  road,  as  it  led 
north,  they  determined  to  follow  it  some 
distance  until  away  from  this  dangerous 
vicinity. 

Several  times,  as  they  advanced,  they 
fancied  it  looked  somewhat  familiar,  but 
the  truth  did  not  break  in  upon  them  until 
iu  turning  a  bend  they  saw  in  the  dim  morn- 
ing light  a  body  of  almost  a  score  of  war- 
horses,  with  one  man  sitting  in  the  saddle 


In  pressing  forward  through  the  forest, 
they  had  unconsciously  kept  edging  to  the 
left,  as  a  man  will  always  do  when  traveling 
blindly,  unless  he  guards  against  thisforging 
ahead  of  his  stronger  side,  and  in  the  end 
had  almost  completed  a  circle,  striking  the 
wood  at  a  point  about  half  a  mile  below 
where  they  had  left  it  before,  so  that  they 
had  been  going  over  the  old  ground  again. 

There  was  something  of  the  dare-devil  in 
Corney,  and  he  was  well  seconded  by  his  two 
younger  comrades. 

The  sight    of  those  horses    gave   him    an 

True,  it  was  a  hair-brained  thought,  and 
one  which  a  discreet  man  would  have  never 
countenanced ;  but  the  veteran  believed 
that  dash  often  accomplished  more  than 
strategy,  and  he  was  ready  for  anything. 

Had  they  been  wise,  they  might  have 
plunged  into  the  brush  on  the  other  side  of 
the  wood,  and  then  have  been  able  to  pro- 
ceed without  much  danger  of  molestation, 
the  search  being  wholly  conducted  upon 
that  side  where  they  had  formerly  been. 


CHAPTER  X. 


STRATAGEM. 

"Come,  it  is  time  we  were  getting  out  of 
this." 

Old  Corney,  the  veteran  hoarsely  whis- 
pered these  words  in  the  ears  of  his  comrades 
when  the  startling  declaration  of  the  rebel 
scout  reached  them. 

ludeed,  it  was  time  they  were  leaving  the 
quarters  which  they  then  occupied,  and  not 
a  second  must  be  lost,  for  only  the  time  re- 
quired for  the  troopers  to  throw  themselves 
from  their  horses  and  rush  in  among  the 
trees  must  lapse  before  all  would  be  hope- 
less. 


the  latter  would  have  a  clew  that  could  not 
be  otherwise  than  valuable  to  them  and  dis- 
astrous to  the  Federals. 

The  captain  gave  a  hasty  order,  and  the 
dozen  men  throwing  themselves  to  the 
ground,  drew  their  sabers  and  plunged  in 
among  the  trees,  led  by  the  rebel  scout  who 
pointed  out  the  precise  spot  where  he  had 
seen  the  three  fugitives  vanish  while  hidden 
among  the  bushes,  where  he  had  himself 
taken  refuge  upon  hearing  their  approach, 
being  suspicious  by  nature,  and  on  an  er- 
rand that  would  not  admit  of  running  any 
risks. 

The  major  himself  became  enthused  with 
the  idea  that  a  man-hunt  might  prove  di- 
verting, and  not  being  in  any  particular 
hurry  to  enter  Richmond  at  such  an  early 
hour,  he  gave  an  order  to  the  four  men  who 
were  with  him. 

Dismounting,  they  all  plunged  into  the 
woods  after  the  others,  the  horses  being  left  in 
charge  of  one  dragoon  who  sat  with  one  knee 


formerly  been. 

But  Corney  had  allowed  this  brilliant  ide„ 
to  fiash  into  his  brain,  and  he  could  think  of 
nothing  else. 

He  no  sooner  mentioned  it  to  his  comrades 
than  they  at  once  seized  upon  the  plan. 

Nothing  remained,  therefore,  but  to  carry 
it  into  execution,  and  the  sooner  they  set  to 
work  the  better  it  would  be  for  their  chances 
of  success. 

Taking  the  side  of  the  road  on  which  the 
rebel  scout  had  been  secreted  when  he 
watched  them,  they  crept  cautiously  along 
through  the  bushes  until  a  point  had  been 
reached  directly  beside  the  horses. 

The  rebel  trooper  still  sat  with  his  face  to- 
ward the  other  side  of  the  road.  His  horses 
had  been  fastened  to  a  rope  which  he  held 
in  his  hand.  There  was  a  purpose  in  this, 
for  otherwise  he  could  not  have  held  the 
whole  of  them. 

As  his  back  was  toward  them,  and  he 
seemed  totally  unsuspicious  of  danger,  the 
chances  were  in  favor  of  their  scheme  work- 
ing well. 

The  vei 
the  wood,  had  made  1 
example  in  arming  themselves  with  stout 
bludgeons. 

That  which  he  carried  was  a  veritable 
war-club,  and  one  blow  from  it  would  settle 
a  giant's  hash. 

With  a  low  word  to  his  companions,  the 
tattered  old  soldier  crept  out  of  his  place  of 
concealment,  and  approached  the  rebel 
trooper. 

If  he  made  any  sound  it  aroused  no  suspic- 
ion in  the  mind  of  the  man  left  to  guard  the 
horses,  for  the  animals  were  continually 
stamping,  as  the  mosquitoes  or  flies  annoved 
them. 

The  two  in  the  bushes  held  their  breath. 

Discovery  might  come  in  more  than  one 
way. 

The  fellow  might  turn  just  at  this  critical 
time  and  give  the  alarm,  or  one  of  the  other 
rebels  might  step  out  into  the  road,  return- 
ing from  the  hunt,  and  thus  see  the  men 
they  sought,  for  it  was  not  far  from  broa* 
daylight  now. 

When  old  Corney  got  within  striking  dis- 


10 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


tance,  he  lost  no  time  in  useless  prepara- 
tions. 

An  Irishman  by  birth,  he  had  wielded 
many  a  shillalah  at  Donnybrook  Pair,  and 
knew  well  how  to  handle  the  native  weapon 
of  the  land  of  his  fathers. 

There  was  a  sudden  loud  crack,  like  the 
thump  one  would  give  a  tree-stump,  and 
over  went  that  rebel  trooper,  falling  like  a 
ninepin  struck  by  the  ball.  Dead,  or  not,  it 
was  all  one  to  Corney,  for  he  knew  little 
mercy  would  be  shown  him  by  the  man's 
comrades  anyway,  and  he  did  not  believe  in 
tempering  his  blow  so  that  he  might  not 
risk  the  fellow's  life,  thereby  running  a 
chance  of  losing  the  game. 

It  seemed  as  though  the  gray  trooper  had 
hardly  vanished  on  one  side  of  the  horse  be- 
fore the  ragged  Federal,  dropping  his  "bit 
of  a  sthick,"  had  leaped  into  the  saddle  from 
the  other  side. 

No  sooner  did  they  see  their  comrade  in 
the  place  so  lately  occupied  by  the  Confed- 
erate, than  Archieand  his  comrade,  realizing 
that  the  game  was  working  well,  leaped  out 
of  the  bushes,  and  each,  selecting  a  horse 
near  that  upon  which  Corney  had  mounted, 
sprung  into  the  saddle. 

Tbe  veteran  had  caught  up  the  rope  which 
his  predecessor  had  dropped  when  he  was 
made  the  recipient  of  that  terrible  blow,  for 
another  brilliant  idea  had  flashed  iuto  his 
active  mind,  and  this  was  to  carry  every 
horse  away  with  them,  thus  preventing  im- 
mediate pursuit  on  the  part  of  the  outwit- 
ted troopers. 

A  word  and  a  kick  in  the  ribs  served  to 
start  the  leading  horse,  and  away  they  start- 
ed down  the  road. 

Ere  they  had  gone  thirty  yards  several 
shouts  sounded  behind  them,  some  of  the 
troopers,  probably  the  major  and  his  men, 
having  returned,  but  too  late. 

Thtgr  sent  a  volley  of  bullets  after  the  fly- 
ing Yankees,  but  these  missiles  did  no 
harm. 

Our  friends  now  hastened  to  arm  them- 
selves, from  the  holsters  of  the  various  sad- 
dles securing  a  couple  of  large  revolvers 
apiece,  while  there  were  two  more  upon 
each  saddle  they  bestrode. 

Holding  one  of  these  latter  ready  for  use, 
they  urged  the  horses  on. 

It  was  a  wild  sight  to  see  them  dashing 
madly  down  the  road,  looking  keenly  ahead, 
as  though  they  half  expected  opposition. 

In  this  they  were  not  far  wrong. 

Some  of  the  troopers  being  near  the  road, 
a  mile  or  so  further  on,  had  heard  the  shots 
and  heavy  trampling,  and  taking  in  the 
situation  at  aglance,  as  the  cavalcade  came 
rushing  on,  formed  a  line  across  the  route, 
and  with  miscellaneous  drawn  weapons 
waited  to  check  the  mad  dash  of  the  three 
escaped  prisoners  from  grim  old  Castle 
Thunder. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

A  MAN  HUNT. 

Those  Confederate  troopers  who  stood  so 
gallantly  in  the  road  could  not  but  have  felt 
shaky  as  they  saw  the  troop  of  horse  dash- 
ing down  upon  them. 

They  had  more  than  one  danger  to  con- 
tend against;  for,  while  they  ran  the  risk  of 
being  run  down  by  the  charging  animals, 
there  was  also  a  peril  in  the  revolvers  which 
they  could  see  in  the  hands  of  the  Yankees, 
and  when  the  collision  came,  death  was  sure 
to  follow. 

Brave  men  as  they  were,  the  Confederates 
could  not  be  blamed  for  looking  over  their 
shoulders  to  see  that  the  way  of  retreat  was 
open  in  case  the  plunging  horses  pressed 
tnem  too  closely. 

A  few  more  leaps,  and  they  were  upon 
them. 

Then  the  sharp  crack  of  firearms  rang 
out,  mingled  with  loud  cries,  and  the  troop- 
ers sprung  back  in  time  to  avoid  being 
crushed  by  the  horses 


down  under  the  feet  of  thi 
steeds. 

Like  a  tornado,  the  little  cavalcade  swept 
on,  the  three  men  bending  low  in  the  saddle 
to  avoid  the  rush  of  bullets  which  they  felt 
sure  must  follow. 

In  this  they  were  right,  for  several  wea- 
pons sounded;  but,  owing  to  their  precau- 
tion no  damage  was  done  by  this  last  dis- 
charge. 

They  had  not  come  out  unscathed,  how- 
ever, for  old  Corney  had  a  slight  wound  on 
the  side  of  his  head,  where  a  rebel  bullet 
had  grazed  his  skull,  while  Tranter,  the 
third  soldier,  had  a  bullet  wound  in  the 
•eshy  part  of  the  arm. 

This  was  rudely  bound  up  when  they  were 


:    some    little    distance    from     the     spot 

here  the  troopers  were,  and  the  journey 
continued. 

Their  situation  had  become  both  better 
and  worse,  if  such  an  anomaly  can  exist. 

The  fact  that  they  were  now  well  armed 
was  something  that  must  cheer  them  con- 
siderably. 

At  the  worst,  they  could  make  adesperate 
fight  for  liberty,  and  this  was  a  desideratum 
not  to  be  despised. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  was  now  known  just 
where  they  were,  what  their  number  was, 
and  what  the  point  they  were  aiming  for, 
so  that  the  rebels  could  concentrate  their 
forces  and  hunt  them  savagely. 

Taking  it  as  a  whole,  however,  they  be- 
lieved their  case  to  have  been  considerably 
bettered  by  the  brilliant  idea  that  had  flash- 
ed into  the  mind  of  the  old  vet«i-an. 

They  were  now  beyond  their  enemies— 
that  is  those  who  were  in  immediate  pursuit 
of  them,  and  yet  they  could  not  expect  to 
keep  the  horses  any  length  of  time ;  for,  at 
any  moment,  they  might  dash  around  a 
bend  in  the  road  only  to  find  themselves  in 
the  midst  of  a  cavalry  company,  such  as 
was  to  be  seen  on  this  line  between  Rich- 
mond and  the  front  at  almost  any  hour  of 
the  day. 

It  was  the  veteran  who  suggested  that  the 
time  had  come  for  them  to  desert  the  horses 
and  take  to  the  forest  again. 

They  had  no  words  in  opposition,  so,  dis- 
mounting, they  gave  the  steeds  a  start,  and 
sent  them  on  along  the  road  at  a  wild 
gallop. 

Care  was  taken  when  entering  among  the 
trees  to  leave  no  traces  behind  which  would 
show  this  fact  to  a  keen-sighted  foe. 

The  day-god  came  up  and  illumined  the 
face  of  nature  with  his  genial  rays,  but  they 
were  most  unwelcome  to  the  three  men  who 
were  yet  almost  in  the  shadow  of  the  grim 
prisou  from  which  they  had  so  recently  es- 
caped, and  to  whom  darkness  was  the  best 
friend  they  knew. 

Had  they  not  been  sure  of  a  hot  chase,  and 
known  that  before  the  day  was  over,  those 
woods  must  be  overrun  with  rebel  soldiers 
hunting  for  them,  their  best  policy  would 
have  been  to  have  lain  low,  and  by  keeping 
quiet  pass  the  day  sleeping  and  recruiting 
their  powers  for  the  coming  night,  when  the 
best  work  could  be  accomplished. 

As  it  was,  they  were  compelled  to  risk  all, 
and  push  forward  in  the  day  time,  trusting 
to  chance  to  keep  them  from  danger,  or 
rather  to  the  power  of  the  Almighty,  who 
had  thus  far  shielded  them. 

Up  to  noon  their  progress  was  good. 

They  had  headed  in  a  line  due  northwest, 
hoping  in  this  way  to  avoid  the  greater 
part  of  their  foes  who  would  be  going 
straight  north. 

A  short  time  after  the  sun  had  passed  the 
meridian,  they  heard  the  barking  of  dogs 
in  their  rear,  followed  by  the  hoarse  shouts 
of  men,  which  grew  in  violence  until  the 
whole  forest  seemed  to  echo  with  the  dis- 
cordant noise. 

The  chase  had  now  begun  in  earnest. 

Realizing  the  desperate  nature  of  their 
position,  the  three  Federals  set  their  teeth, 
and  quickened  their  pace  until  they  had  as- 
sumed a  run ;  still  their  pursuers  seemed  to 
gain. 

They  were  white  in  the  face,  but  full  of 
grit,  and  pushed  on,  determined  to  make  at 
least  a  gallant  fight  before  giving  In. 

There  was  no  mystery  regarding  the  find- 
ing of  their  trail— the  bark  of  the  dogs  told 
that,  and  there  was  little  doubt  but  that  the 
discomfited  troopers  were  in  the  van  of  their 
pursuers,  though  it  was  evident  that  they 
must  have  been  heavilj  reinforced. 

Louder  grew  the  signs  of  pursuit,  and 
more  desperate  their  chances. 

The  dogs  were  not  bloodhounds,  and  they 
had  no  reason  to  fear  them,  but  the  men 
were  fully  as  ferocious  as  hounds  could  be, 
and  when  they  came  up  with  the  fugitives 
there  would  be  particular  Cain  to  pay. 

At  this  inopportune  time  the  three  Yan- 
kees suddenly  found  themselves  upon  the 
bank  of  a  stream,  which,  though  not  wide, 
was  evidently  deep. 

To  go  either  up  or  down  was  beyond  all 
question  impossible,  for  they  could  hear  the 
hoarse  shouts  of  those  who  chased  them  in 
either  direction. 

The  only  thing  left  them  was  to  swim 
across. 

There  came  a  volley  at  this  moment,  as 
some  of  their  eager  pursuers  burst  into  view, 
and  a  cry  broke  from  poor  Tranter  as  he 
reeled  back,  clutched  at  the  empty  air  and 
fell  upon  the  green  grass  that  bordered  the 
river. 

Both  the  others  saw  that  the  shot  had 


pierced  the  poor  fellow's  heart,  and  that  ha 
was  already  dead.  Had  he  been  only  wound- 
ed, they  would  have  stood  at  bay  over  him, 
and  have  met  death  rather  than  desert  him. 

Now  there  was  no  need  of  any  such  sacri- 
fice, for  he  was  beyond  all  earthly  hope. 

Life  is  precious  to  every  man,  when  he 
can  with  honor  save  it,  and  as  their  only 
hope  lay  in  crossing  the  river,  old  Corney 
and  Archie  Gordon  lost  no  more  time,  but 
sprang  into  the  water. 

They  found  the  current  strong,  but  made 
little  attempt  to  stem  it,  preferring  rather  • 
to  use  their  whole  polver  in  endeavoring  to 
reach  the  opposite  shore. 

When  they  were  two-thirds  of  the  way 
across,  the  Confederates  began  to  appear  in 
large  numbers  on  the  other  shore,  and  then 


manner  decidedly  unpleasant,  and  splashed 
in  the  water,  some  of  them  rising  again  to 
fall  further  on  with  a  sullen  chug,  like  a 
frog  leaping  off  a  log  into  the  river. 

All  at  once,  old  Corney  uttered  a  cry, 
threw  up  his  aruis,  and  vanished  from  sight 
under  the  cold  waters  of  the  river,  and 
Archie  saw,  or  fancied  he  did,  which 
amounted  to  the  same  thing— a  tinge  of  red 
over  the  spot  where  his  faithful  old  com- 
rade had  gone  down. 

Horrified  at  the  brave  fellow's  fate,  he 
could  ouly  keep  on,  though  he  now  seemed 
to  lose  all  thought  as  to  what  would  become 
of  him.  With  his  two  comrades  killed,  his 
own  fate  seemed  immaterial. 

He  did  not  notice  that  the  firing  had  bow 
ceased  entirely,  for  he  had  gained  the  shore. 

Looking  up,  he  saw  half  a  dozen  men  in 
gray  stooping  over  the  bank. 

'Surrender,  Yank!"  said  one,  aiming  a 
carbine. 

A  second  caught  him  by  the  nape  of  the 
neck,  and  in  this  way  he  was  drawn  out  of 
the  water. 

Poor  Archie!  He  was  again  in  the  hands  of 
the  Philistines,  and  destined  for  a  rebel  pris- 
on, but  he  could  only  think  himself  favored 
by  Providence,  when  he  remembered  the 
terrible  fate  of  the  two  poor  fellows  who 
had  so  lately  been  full  of  life  and  hope,  and 
now  lay,  one  stiff  and  stark  on  the  bank 
yonder,  the  other,  at  the  bottom  of  the 
river  without  doubt. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  DEAD  LINE   AT  ANDERSONVILLE. 

Andersonville ! 

What     tragic     memories  cluster    around 


the  many  thousand  that  were  huddled  to- 

f  ether  within  the  log  walls  of  this  most  in- 
amous  prison  pen  ! 
Andersonville ! 

The  name  stands  to-day,  one  of  the  few 
blots  upon  the  Confederate  escutcheon,  and 
the  blackest  and  foulest  of  them  all. 


,  or  any  noted  general  of  the  South, 
who  does  not  have  a  very  unpleasant  feeling 
whenever  Andersonville  is  mentioned  in  their 
presence. 

They  utterly  and  wholly  repudiate  the 
horrors  of  that  death-pen,  and  cast  the 
blame  upon  those  who  should  properly  bear 
it^John  H.  Winder,  a  brigadier-general  in 
the  Confederate  service,  who  had  long  made 
the  prisons  of  Richmond  a  terror,  and  Hen- 
ry Wirz,  the  jailer. 

That  these  men  were  appointed  to  such  a 
position,  and  never  removed  until  after  the 
war,  was  evidence  that  their  diabolical  ac- 
tions were  sanctioned  by  some  one  high  in 
authority,  but  in  the  trial  after  the  war  it 
could  not  be  conclusively  proven  who  should 
have  shared  the  blame.  <i 

Andersonville  prison  flourished  only  a  few 
months  longer  than  [a  year,  when  it  was  ' 
closed  by  Lee  and  Johnson's  surrender ;  but  I 
during  that  time  over  twelve  thousand  - 
Union  soldiers  were  murdered  within  that  y 
stockade,  many  of  them  shot  down  in  wan- 


f  ul  dead  line  1 

They  died  by  hundreds  in  the  poor  apology 
of  a  hospital,  reduced  to  skin  and  bones.  If 
a  man  was  wounded  ever  so  little,  his  death 
warrant  was  generally  sealed,  for  in  that 
climate  gangrene  would  set  in,  and  even  the 
wound  would  sometimes  be  swathed  in  ban- 
dages already  reeking  with  poison,  having 
done  duty  on  more  than  one  occasion. 

It  was  the  avowed  policy  of  the  provost- 
general  and  Captiiiu  Wirz,  his  jailer,  to  de- 
crease the  numljcr  uf  prisoners  under  their 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


:i- 


cihargB  by  any  mauuer  of  means,  and  they 
gloated  over  ttie  rapidly  growing  dimension 
of  the  graveyard. 

Death  waa  the  only  way  of  relieving  them 
«f  their  hated  charges,  and  no  means  were 
left  untried  in  order  to  carry  out  this  awful 

The  ofBter  in  command  was  often  heard 
to  boast  that  he  himself,  with  only  a  scanty 
appropriation  from  his  government,  had 
been  able  to  kill  off  more  Yankees  during  a 
year,  by  starving  and  murdering  them,  than 
the  combined  Confederate  force  in  the  field 
had  been  able  to  do  in  fair  combat,  where 
they  lost  an  equal  number  of  brave  men ; 
and  when  that  frightful  death-roll  is  con- 
sulted, it  will  be  seen  that  he  was  not  much 
out  of  the  way  in  his  utterance. 

The  prison  proper  was  fifteen  hundred  and 
forty  feet  long,  by  seven  hundred  ami  fifty 
wide,  after  the  addition  had  been  made  to 
the  original  structure. 

The  pickets  were  composed  of  solid  trees, 
twenty-four  feet  in  height,  planted  close  to- 
gether in  a  trench  five  feet  deep,  with  the 
earth  thrown  around  the  base,  and  the  tops 
roughly  pointed  with  the  ax, 


was  allowed ;  the  canopy  of  the  sky  was  the 
only  covering  for  the  thousands  of  wretched 
men.  Not  a  tree  or  shrub  had  been  left  for 
shelter,  and  the  burning  beams  of  the  blaz- 
ing sun  fell  full  upon  ihe  red  soil  of  the  bare 
hill  or  incline  upon  which  a  portion  of  the 
stockade  rested. 

The  dead  line  of  Andersonville  was  the  in- 
vention of  the  cruel  monster  Wirz. 

Before  his  coming  the  prisoners  had  been 
allowed  full  sway  within  the  stockade,  and 
could  converse  with  those  visitors  whom 
curiosity  or  business  brought  to  the  outside. 

To  prevent  this,  Wirz  had  poles  planted 
some  ten  feet  apart  and  thirty  feet  from  the 
stockade,  and  upon  these  was  fastened  a 
railing. 

Notice  was  then  given  that  any  one  trans- 
gressing upon  this  ground  would  be  instant- 
ly shot;  and  the  guards  being  well  instructed 
seemed  to  take  a  fiendish  delight  in  carrying 


death  to  dip  up  cooler  water  from  the  little 
stream  that  ran  through  the  stockade— the 
reaching  under  to  reach  a  worthless  rag 
which  the  breeze  had  blown  from  its  pro- 
prietor the  partially  exposed  body  of  a  pris- 
oner, whom  a  struggle  with  his  mates  had 
forced  beyond  the  terrible  dead  line— all 
these  were  enough  to  secure  the  shot  of  a 
sentry  and  the  death  of  the  unfortunate. 

With  a  malignity  never  excelled  in  the  tor- 
tures of  the  Spanish  Inquisition,  Wirz  had 
"so  placed  the  railing  that  a  portion  of  it 
crossed  or  intruded  upon  the  little  stream, 
which  entered  from  one  side  and  furnished 
water  for  the  prisoners,  ^nd  this  point  was 
where  the  water  was  deeper  and  purer  than 
at  any  other  part  of  its  course,  and  neces- 
sarily more  inviting  to  the  thirsty  palates 
hankering  after  it.  To  reach  this  water  the 
deadline  must  be  obtruded  upon.  To  do 
this  was  death!" 

Such  cruelty  was  seldom  known,  and  cer- 
tainly never  before  countenanced  by  a  civ- 
ilized nation. 

"At  this  fated  spot  the  ghosts  of  many 
poor  fellows  went  shrieking  their  death 
gasp  away  over  those  filthy  waters,  as  their 
emaciated  forms  sought  a  temporary  re- 
freshment nearer  to  their  source." 

In  August,  1864,  there  were  held  within  the 
confines  of  this  great  pen,  thirty-three 
thousand  Union  soldiers.  So  crowded  was 
the  place  that  it  was  almost  impossible  for 
them  to  lie  down  to  sleep,  even  upon  the 
bare  ground. 

Some  dug  caves  to  shelter  their  miserable 
bodies  from  the  torrid  sun  and  the  fever- 
bearing  rains  of  that  country ;  others  made 
a  pitiable  shelter  of  blankets,  but  the  major- 
ity were  entirely  without  covering  day  and 
night,  summer  and  winter,  and  alniost  with- 
out clothes;  for  they  had  been  robbed  of 
every  thing  worth  having  by  the  rebel 
guards,  who  scoured  outfits  by  taking  shoes 
from  one  man,  a  hat  from  another,  an  over- 
coat in  the  chilly  season  from  a  third,  and 
money  and  valuables  from  all. 

Men  who  went  into  the  prison  pen  at  An- 
dersonville had  about  an  even  chance  for 
life  and  death. 

Those  who  came  out  alive  were  fortunate; 
but  it  would  be  hard  to  find  a  man  of  those 
heroes  who  did  not  contract  disease  of  some 
sort  while  there  which  would  mark  him  for 
life. 


It  must  needs  be  a  constitution  of  iron  that 
could  resist  climate,  exposure,  starvation 
and  the  cruelties  of  Wirz  combined. 

The  stockade  was  crowded  whenouryoung 
hero,  Archie  Gordon,  reached  it,  and  the 
process  of  murder  in  its  various  forms  in  full 
sway. 

He  was  put  through  the  mill  as  the  others 
had  been  before  him,  but  as  the  guards  were 
now  well  supplied  with  clothing  they  did 
not  rob  him  of  his  garments.  He  lost  what 
money  he  had,  but  this  would  have  done 
him  no  good  such  as  had  been  the  case  at 
Richmond. 

Then  he  became  one  of  the  vast  jostling 
crowd  of  surging  and  suffering  humanity, 
running  the  same  terrible  risks  and  joining 
in  with  their  poor  sports  gotten  up  to  pass 
the  dread  hours  away  and  forget  for  the 
time  being  how  close  they  were  to  death. 

Archie  had  not  been  in  the  prison  ten  min- 
utes before  he  witnessed  a  tragedy  such  as 
made  his  very  blood  run  cold,  and  yet  which 
had  grown  so  common  an  occurrence  that  it 
was  almost  wholly  unnoticed  by  the  general 
mass  of  prisoners. 

One  poor  wretch,  driven  almost  insane  by 
the  heat,  his  parched  tongue  protruding,  and 
his  eyes  red  as  coals,  had  stood  glaring  at 
the  cool  water  beyond  the  line  until  unable 
to  stand  the  torture  longer  he  dashed  out, 
and  throwing  himself  down  beside  the  pool, 
drank  long  and  eagerly. 

As  he  arose  to  his  feet,  a  gun  sounded,  and 
with  a  shriek  the  poor  fellow  dropped  life- 
less back  to  the  earth.  He  had  given  his  life 
for  a  drink  of  water. 

Archie's  blood  ran  cold,  and  he  turned  his 
eyes  upon  the  man  who  had  shot  the  pris- 
oner. The  guard  wa  laughing  as  he  reloaded 
his  gun. 

"  Heaven  help  you  if  you  ever  fall  into  my 
hands!"  said  Archie  to  himself,  and  the 
man's  face  was  photographed  forever  on  his 
mind. 

In  time  he  grew  accustomed  to  these  scenes 
of  horror,  but  he  never  forgot  that  first 
murder  and  the  marked  guard. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

TERRIBLE    PEN-PICT0RES. 

Among  the  many  thousand  prisoners  con- 
gregatedf  at  Andersonville,  it  was  of  course 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  Archie  would 
know  quite  a  number.  He  recognized  sev- 
eral who  had  been  comrades  in  the  assault 
upon  the  Tennessee  forts,  and  though  sorry 
to  see  them  in  such  a  plight,  it  was  pleasant 
to  meet  old  friends. 

There  was  a  constant  humming  noise  as 
the  prisoners  talked  and  sang,  trying  to 
keep  their  spirits  up. 

Some  among  them  were  ready  to  give  up, 
but  the  majority  showed  themselves  pos- 
sessed of  grit  beyond  the  usual  run.  To  give 
in  to  despondency  in  that  hole  was  the  same 
as  inviting  death,  for  the  grim  destroyer 
would  swoop  down  like  an  eagle,  and  seize 
upon  the  unfortunate. 

Archie,  naturally  gifted  with  abundant 
spirits  found  a  good  use  for  the  overflow 
here,  and  many  a  poor  wretch  had  reason  to 
feel  glad  that  he  waa  there.  Congenial  com- 
pany can  often  do  more  than  medicine,  and 
the  most  fatal  symptom  among  the  prisoners 
was  disease  of  the  mind. 

Surrounded  as  they  were  by  an  unhealthf  ul 
atmosphere,  crowded  together  in  their  filth 
like  a  tremendous  herd  of  cattle,  and  com- 
pelled to  drink  foul  water,  which  in  its 
purest  state  contained  the  germs  of  disease, 
coming  as  it  did  from  a  swamp,  where  it 
oozed  out  from  the  midst  of  decaying  vege- 
table matter— it  was  no  wonder  that  death 
stalked  in  their  midst,  and  as  a  mind  brood- 
ing over  trouble  weakeus.the system,  so  those 
who  were  the  most  moody  were  the  first  to 
be  carried  to  the  rough  hospital  and  event- 
ually to  the  field  of  horrors,  the  grave-yard. 

This  latter  place  will  ever  be  remembered 
as  a  disgi-ace  to  the  South. 

Every  day  the  dead  cart  made  its  trips, 
and  the  poor  wretches  were  piled  upon  it  to 
be  carried  away. 

The  bodies  were  placed  in  a  long,  shallow 
trench,  some  quicklime  thrown  upon  them, 
and  about  two  or  three  feet  of  soil  cast  over 
them. 

Heads  and  limbs  protruded  here  and  there, 
and  the  atmosphere  was  simply  terrible. 

Flocks  of  carrion  birds  hovered  above  this 
field  of  death,  awaiting  their  feast. 

Thousands  upon  thousands  of  brave  men 
lay  in  that  place,  while  their  dear  ones  far 
away  among  the  hills  or  on  the  beautiful 
prairies  of  the  North  were  praying  for  their 
safety. 

There  were  days  when  no  rations  were 
served  at  all— days  when  the  wretched  pris- 


oners believed  that  it  was  the  intention  of 
the  fiendish  Wirz  to  starve  them  all  in  u 
body,  and  thus  exterminate  an  army  at  one 
blow. 

It  has  since  been  proven  that  safaoient 
food  was  sent  to  have  provided  all  with  tha 
required  sustenance,  but  owing  to  the  raa- 
cality  of  those  who  had  charge  of  it  at  the 
prison,  much  of  it  was  sold  and  the  money 
pocketed. 

Every  day,  one  or  more  men  fell  beneath 
the  bullets  of  the  guards. 

Wirz  murdered  more  than  one  man  in  the 
presence  of  his  comrades,  for  some  petty 
cause,  such  as  making  a  firm,  but  perftictly 
respectful  answer,  when  accused  of  attempt- 
ing to  escape. 

They  grew  to  fear  this  man  as  though  he 
were  the  Evil  One  himself. 

More  than  one  man  in  that  list  would  have 
sacrificed  his  own  life,  if  by  so  doing  he  could 
have  put  this  fiend  in  human  shape  out  of 
the  way,  but  no  opportunity  was  given  those 
who  would  thus  have  made  martyrs  of  them- 
selves for  the  good  of  their  fellows. 

Orders  had  been  issued  that  if  a  dozen  of 
the  prisoners  made  a  dash  for  liberty,  the 
cannon  near  by  were  to  be  fired  indiscrimin- 


The  same  order  was  to  be  carried  out  If 
Sherman's  army  came  within  so  many  miles 
of  the  place. 

Never  have  the  horrors  of  that  place  been 
fully  described,  and  mine  shall  not  be  the 
pen  to  attempt  the  task. 

To  those  of  my  readers  who  were  there, 
what  need  is  there  of  such  a  picture,  when, 
by  shutting  the  eyes,  they  can  see  that  which 
will  make  a  cold  shudder  sweep  over  thehr 
frames,  while  with  those  who  were  not  there 
in  that  year  of  terror,  it  were  far  better  that 
the  worst  remained  untold. 

The  sights  that  met  the  eye— the  dreadful 
sounds  that  greeted  the  ear,  and  the  misery 
entailed  by  acute  suffering— these  will  never 
leav*  the  mind  while  life  remains. 

Among  the  thousands  in  that  great  pen, 
there  were  many  whom  Archie  probably 
never  saw  during  the  whole  of  his  confine- 
ment there. 

Every  day  he  looked  upon  new  facet, ,' 
and  not  unfrequently  came  across  friends, ' 
some  of  them  hardly  recognizable,  because 
of  the  haggard  faces  and  tattered  garments. 

The  rebels  were  continually  on  the  look- 
out for  tunnels,  as  this  seemed  the  only  way 
the  prisoners  could  escape  directly  from  tha 
pen  itself,  and  if  any  were  being  dug,  the 
greatest  possible  care  had  to  be  used  to  pre- 
vent their  detection. 

Escapes  were  made,  of  course. 

Few  there  were,  however,  who  got  away. 

Some  were  brought  back,  mangled  by  the 
fierce  bloodhounds  kept  by  Wirz  for  the 
purpose  of  hunting  men ;  others  were  never 
heard  of  again,  and  their  bones  now  bleacb 
in  some  Southern  swamp  or  wood.  They 
either  fought  like  tigers  and  were  shot  down 


their  throats  so  that  life  slipped  out,  and 
there  was  no  use  carrying  them  back. 

This  Wirz  is  the  blackest  character  the 
history  of  the  four  years'  war  can  produce, 
and  his  name  deserves  to  be  handed  down  to 
posterity  as  that  of  an  inhuman  monstw, 
too  vile  to  live. 

Thank  God  that  he  met  his  just  fate  at  the 
hands  of  the  government  whose  loyal  sold- 
iers he  had  slain  without  compunction. 

Twenty  thousand  victims  had  been  sent  te 
that  "undiscovered  country,  from  whose 
bourne  no  traveler  returns,"  there  to  be 
mute  witnesses  against  the  monster  tyrant. 
Many  times  that  number  lived  to  curse  his 
name,  and  bare  their  heads  with  grim  satia- 
faction  when  the  news  came  of  his  ignomin- 
ious death. 

He  took  a  keen  enjoyment  in  thia  chase  for 
escaped  prisoners,  and   often    delayed    the 

1^  . ,__i-       ve  the  poor  fugitive  a 

poor  his  chance 


with  canteen  well  filled,  haversack  stuffed 
with  edibles,  tobacco  pouch  dangling  from 
a  button,  and  revolver  ready,  would  mount 
his  pony  and  hurry  away. 

The  «ogs  strike  the  scent  and  away  they 
go  on  the  track  of  the  poor  devil. 

Perhaps  after  a  long  day's  exciting  ehaa» 
the  wretched  fugitive  would  be  b"ought 
back,  mangled  by  the  hounds,  despoadeai 
over  his  failure,  and  compelled  to  work  in 
the  chain  gang  for  his  temerity  in  endeavor- 
ing to  escape  from  such  a  fate. 

Sometimes  he  would  be  left  where  he  had 
fallen,  with  only  the  leaves  for  a  shroud. 
Seldom,  indeed,  that  the  fugitive  got  away; 


THE  WA.E,  LIBRARY. 


and  even  if  this  were  tlie  case,  tie  had  a  hos- 
tile country  between  himself  and  those  who 
would  befriend  him. 

Archie's  mind  was  bent  upon  escape. 

During  the  weeks  he  spent  at  Auderson- 
ville,  there  were  none  of  the  terrible  sights 
but  that  he  did  not  look  upon.  Each  day's 
horrors  only  made  him  the  more  determined 
to  leave  this  place  behind  him. 

The  sooner  the  better,  for  in  time  even  his 
body  must  become  weakened  by  the  priva- 
tions he  endured,  and  because  of  the  ex- 
posure. 

He  was  singularly  fortuuate,  however,  and 
by  a  shrewd  trick,  managed  to  receive  a  sup- 
ply of  food  when  the  others  had  none. 

This  was  the  game  he  played. 

Possessed  of  one  coin,  he  hoarded  it  until 
one  day  when  a  dear  friend  seemed  dying  for 
want  of  food ,  when  with  the  silver  he  bribed 
one  of  the  guards  to  procure  him  a  quantity 
of  victuals,  which  saved  Ward  Edwards' 
life.  After  that  there  was  nothing  Edwards 
would  not  have  done  for  him. 

That  very  night,  he  saw  the  guard  slip  the 
coin  into  a  small  hole  near  his  station,  which 
was  evidently  his  bank.  Archie  managed  to 
draw  the  identical  piece  out  with  a  piece  of 
stick,  on  the  end  of  which  he  had  placed  a 
lump  of  gum  from  a  wild  cherry  tree. 

The  following  day  that  silver  piece  again 
did  duty,  and  on  tUn  same  iiinht  Arrhieoiii-e 
more  drew  iioutff  Ihenewliankdf  theguard, 
which  perhaps  rontaiiird  no  uilier  coin. 

Day  after  day  this  bit  of  silver  did  itsduty, 
Archie  and  his  friends  enjoying  the  proceeds 
of  his  cunning,  and  the  guard  fancying  all 
the  while  he  was  laying  up  the  nucleus  of  a 
small  fortune. 

If  he  ever  discovered  how  he  had  been 
hoodwinked,  Archie's  life  would  not  be 
worth  a  picayune,  for  no  inquiries  would  be 
instituted  if  a  guard  shot  a  prisoner  in  the 
midst  of  his  friends. 

Archie  was  only  receiving  what  he  should 
have  gotten  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  his 
conscience  never  troubled  him  because  of  the 
deception. 

More  than  one  poor  wretch  had  his  life 
saved  during  those  days  of  starvation  by  the 
generosity  of  the  young  soldier. 

As  has  been  said  before,  Archie  was  con- 
tinually on  the  alert  for  a  chance  to  escape. 

Twice  he  had  come  within  an  ace  of  being 
shot,  because  of  trespassing  upon  the  dead 
line. 

On  the  second  occasion,  he  had  boldly 
stepped  upon  the  forbidden  ground,  and 
filled  his  cup  at  the  clear  portion  of  the 
stream.  It  was  for  a  comrade  who  was  dy- 
ing, and  had  not  even  been  taken  through 
the  mockery  of  being  carried  to  the  prison 
hospital. 

As  he  turned  to  retrace  his  steps,  a  rifle 
cracked,  and  the  bullet  whistled  by,  within 
a  few  inches  of  his  head,  but  he  rejoined  his 
comrades,  perhaps  the  only  man  who  so 
boldly  crossed  the  dead  line  and  lived. 

There  was  only  one  way  to  account  for  this 
—the  guard  who  had  flred  was  the  man  with 
whom  Archie  had  dealings  in  the  provision 
line,  and  he  did  not  care  to  kill  the  goose  that 
laid  the  golden  eggs. 

There  would  come  a  time,  perhaps,  when 
he  would  hanker  after  that  young  man's 
blood  more  fiercely  than  any  man  in  the 
whole  Confederate  army— that  would  come 
when  he  learned  the  truth  and  how  he  had 
been  deceived. 

Archie  did  not  care  to  repeat  the  attempt, 
for  another  guard  might  be  on  the  spot,  or 
else  this  same  fellow  believe  that  it  would  be 
bad  policy  to  make  two  misses,  and  send  his 
murderous  bullet  home. 

The  man  who  drank  that  cup  of  water,  if 
he  has  lived  to  this  day,  has  never  swallowed 
liquid  more  l:)ravely  earned,  and  he  must 
remember  Archie  Gordon  with  a  deep  affec- 
tion. 

Archie  soon  learned  how  dangerous  it  was 
to  attempt  to  tunnel  out,  and  finally  resolved 
to  look  around,  and  see  if  it  were  not  easier 
to  effect  escape  in  some  other  way. 

Being  always  obliging,  and  much  more 
sturdy  than  most  of  the  prisoners,  he  was 
generally  selected  as  one  of  the  party  sent 
out  after  firewood,  and  to  do  various  other 
tasks  which  would  lighten  the  labor  of  those 
who  were  there  for  that  purpose. 

He  had  some  little  knowledge  of  medicine 
and  surgery,  taught  him  by  his  father,  who 
had  been  at  one  time  a  doctor,  and  when 
this  was  found  out,  he  was  taken  to  tbe  hos- 
pital. 

Few  who  ever  went  there  came  back ;  it 
was  but  a  halting  place  between  the  prison 
pen  and  the  terrible  cemetery;  however, 
Archie  was  not  carried  there  to  be  treated, 
bmt  went  to  lend  his  assistance. 

Here  fresh  scenes  of  horror  awaited  him. 


Those  in  charge  had  grown  accustomed  to 
the  dreadful  sights,  and  though  some 
might  have  desired  to  alleviate  the  sufferings 
of  the  wretched  beings,  they  were  restrained 
by  the  strictness  put  upon  them  by  those  in 
authority. 

If  Archie  had  never  been  confident  of  the 
eventual  overthrow  of  the  Confederacy  be- 
fore, these  sights  must  have  fully  convinced 
him,  for  he  knew  that  Heaven  would  never 
sustain  a  cause  that  was  backed  by  such  in- 
human barbarity. 

With  every  breath  he  drew  he  mentally 
cursed  the  government  that  treated  its  pris- 
oners ten  times  worse  than  dogs,  allowing 
them  to  die  off  by  thousands,  to  waste  away 
to  mere  living  skeletons,  so  that  the  bones 
almost  burst  from  the  tightly-drawn  skin. 

He  set  to  work  with  a  will,  but  most  of  the 
poor  fellows  were  beyond  all  mortal  aid, 
and  besides,  the  supply  of  medicines  was 
shamefully  stinted. 

As  he  bent  over  one  poor  fellow,  who, 
wasted  to  skin  and  bone,  was  passing  away, 
he  found  him  holding  a  tress  of  golden  hair 
and  a  picture  in  his  nand— the  picture  of  a 
sweet  woman. 

"It  is  my  wife— God  bless  her!"  he  whis- 
pered hoarsely,  as  Archie  sustained  him, 
"  tell  her  I  died  formy  country, and  thatmy 
last  thought  was  of  her,  but  spare  her  the 
horrors  of  this  scene.  Her  address  is  on  the 
picture.  Have  the  tress  buried  with  me. 
Oh,  God,  it  is  over!  " 

Feebly  he  raised  the  golden  lock  of  hair, 
pressed  it  to  his  lips,  where  it  lay,  as  a  shud- 
der passed  through  his  frame,  and  then  all 
was  still.  The  little  woman  with  the  golden 
hair  was  a  widow  of  the  Republic. 

"Poor  fellow,  he  is  dead!"  said  a  voice  on 
the  other  side  of  the  late  sufferer— a  voice 
that  sent  an  electric  thrill  through  Archie's 
frame. 

He  looked  up  and  saw  one  of  the  Union 
prisoners  before  him,  who  was  evidently  a 
doctor  in  the  hospital— a  man  with  a  long, 
iron-gray  beard,  and  thin,  though  well  knit 
frame. 

One  look  he  gave,  then  a  wild  cry  broke 
from  him. 

"Father!  Alive!  Oh,  God,  I  thank  Thee!" 

It  was  indeed  the  dead  alive. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

BKOKEN    FETTERS. 

Strange  anomaly. 

The  dead  had  come  to  life  in  the  midst  of 
ne  woman  had  just  lost  a  hus- 
another  a  dearly  beloved  was 
restored,  as  it  were. 

Archie's  arms  were  around  his  father's 
neck,  and  the  latter  pressed  him  to  his  heart. 

Never  again  had  they  expected  to  meet 
thus,  and  ihough  they  spoke  not,  their 
hearts  were  full  almost  to  bursting. 

Later  on  the  doctor  told  all  his  adventures. 

He  had  been  left  for  dead  at  a  time  when 
the  Union  troops  were  in  retreat,  and  was 
doubtless  so  regarded  by  his  comrades,  but 
the  bullet  had  only  stunned  him,  and  he 
came  to  consciousness  to  find  himself  a  pris- 
oner. 

All  this  while  he  had  been  employed  in 
the  hospitals  at  Richmond,  but  had  lately 
been  transferred  to  Andersonville,  where 
his  soul  was  made  siik  with  the  miseries  he 
was  daily  brought  in  contact  with. 

Several  times  he  had  sent  messages  to  his 
wife  through  men  about  to  be  exchanged, 
but  through  some  reason  not  one  of  these 
ever  reached  her,  as  he  now  learned  to  his 
surprise. 

Since  coming  to  Andersonville  the  doctor 
had  been  allowed  his  liberty,  for  it  was  be- 
lieved that  as  he  fared  well,  he  would  never 
think  of  attempting  escape  and  thus  incur- 
i-ing  deadly  dangers. 

Perhaps  he  might  not  but  for  meeting 
Archie,  and  this  intelligence  that  his  dear 
wife  had  so  long  believed  him  dead  excited 
him  so  much  that  he  felt  he  must  go  crazy  if 
he  did  not  attempt  to  reach  her. 

After  that  they  were  almost  continually 
together,  and  thus  were  enabled  to  discuss 
plans  for  escape. 

Captain  Gordon  had  been  enabled  to  pos- 
sess himself  of  a  revolver  and  ammunition, 
which  he  hid  away  for  the  desperate  ven- 
ture, believing  that  the  reason  those  who 
had  heretofore  escaped  had  failed  to  get  off 
was  the  fact  they  were  totally  unarmed, 
and  hence  unable  to  beat  off  the  savage 
hounds  that  ran  them  down. 

He  had  a  pass  to  go  and  come  as  he  pleased. 

It  was  his  intention  to  give  this  to  Archie 
in  the  proper  time.  Meanwhile  he  must 
make  himself  so  friendly  to  the  sentries  that 
they  would  not  require  him  to  show  the 
paper. 


The  pass  mentioned  no  name  Im;  si>n;;p  of 
the  bearer  in  connection  wllU  the  lipsjiital. 

Every  time  he  went  out,  ostensibly  to 
search  for  some  weed  that  grew  near  by,  in 
order  to  make  a  poultice  for  a  sick  rebel 
guard  who  needed  especial  attention,  the 
doctor  carried  with  him  a  small  supply  of 
food  such  as  would  keep  without  spoiling, 
and  this  was  placed  in  apackage  wrapped  iii 
heavy  cloth,  which  in  its  turn  was  secreted 
in  a  hollow  stump  against  the  time  when 
their  despei  ntc  venture  was  ripe. 

Archie  niii'lc  liiiiiselt  very  necessary  at  the 
hospital,  1111(1  v.i^i  looked  upon  with  favor, 
for  as  has  lui  ii  .siiid  before,  he  had  a  winning 
way  about  him. 

He  still  kept  up  his  trick  with  the  guard, 
and  the  solitary  silver  piece  procured  many 
a  good  meal  for  the  half-starved  prisoners 
with  whom  he  had  become  particularly  ac- 
quainted. 

The  meeting  with  his  father,  whom  they 
had  mourned  as  dead  these  two  years,  had 
made  him  especially  light-hearted. 

Perhaps  he  too  was  reported  dead  in  the 
North,  and  the  little  mother  was  bowing  her 
head  with  grief  at  the  additional  burden 
thrown  upon  her. 

If  they  both  escaped  alive,  what  a  glorious 
coming  home  it  would  be. 

He  thrilled  at  the  very  thought  of  it,  and 
prayed  that  Heaven  might  see  fit  to  return 
them  to  the  dear  little  woman  away  off  in 
the  Ohio  home,  who  was  grieving  for  her 
dead. 

Day  after  day  the  weapons  of  the  guards 
sounSed,  and  some  poor  wretch  fell  beyond 
the  dead  line,  a  victim  to  the  cruelty  of  the 
fiends  in  charge. 

Day  after  day  the  great,  high-bodied  dead 
wagon,  drawn  by  four  mules,  lumbered 
along,  picking  up  those  who  awaited  its 
coming,  and  creaking  under  its  load  of 
wretched  morality,  made  its  regular  trips  to 
and  from  the  awful  cemetery  which  was 
fast  encroaching  upon  the  precincts  of  the 
living. 

In  August  over  two  thousand  had  died 
and  been  half  buried.  What  a  fearful  out- 
look for  those  that  remained,  crowded  in 
the  pen  to  the  number  of  over  thirty  thou- 
sand. 

The  time  was  now  at  hand  for  their  ven- 
ture. 

They  were  risking  more  than  most  of  the 
prisoners  would  have  done  in  attempting 
the  same  thing,  for  they  were  in  what  might 
be  termed  comfortable  circumstances  when 
their  situation  was  compared  with  that  of 
the  half  starved,  illy  treated  prisoners  in  the 
pen. 

True,  they  endured  privations,  and  both 
of  them  were  gaunt  enough  to  what  they 
had  formerly  been,  but  their  strength  re- 
mained, and  they  carefully  husbanded  that, 
knowing  how  every  atom  of  it  would  be 
needed  ere  they  could  cross  the  many  miles 
of  hostile  country  that  lay  between  them- 
selves and  the  land  of  freedom. 

In  leaving  this  comparative  comfort, 
which  might  have  been  theirs  right  along; 
and,  plunging  into  the  deepest  danger,  they 
were,  therefore,  risking  more  than  would 
have  been  the  case  with  the  poor  men  who, 
confronted  by  death  in  the  most  terrible 
shape,  escaped  from  the  pen,  and  ran  no 
greater  chance  of  losing  life  in  the  Georgia 
wilds,  with  the  savage  hounds,  and  even 
more  inhuman  men  chasing  them  than  if 
they  had  remained  in  their  loathsome  quar- 
ters. 

Their  preparations,  beyond  the  collection 
of  food  as  spoken  of  before,  were  few  in- 
deed. 

The  doctor  secreted  some  medicines  which 
he  knew  would  be  of  value  to  them  should 
one  fall  sick  by  the  wayside.  Besides,  he 
had  secured  a  little  compass  which  would 
probably  be  of  much  value  to  them  in  steer- 
ing their  course  properly. 

Archie  had  already  made  one  escape,  and 
knew  what  a  hot  chase  would  follow.  He 
believed  it  must  be  all  the  more  severe,  be- 
cause he  and  his  father  had  made  themselves 
very  useful  to  Wirz  and  his  men,  and,  there- 
fore, more  regard  would  be  given  to  their 
flitting  than  if  they  were  a  c-ouple  of  the 
poor  inmates  of  the  pen. 

They  had  many  a  time  seen  the  jailer  start 
off  on  his  man  hunt,  and  knew  just  what 
maneuvers  he  would  so  through  with. 

This  gave  them  something  of  an  advan- 
tage over  most  of  those  who  escaped  from 
Adersonville. 

Besides  this  knowledge,  they  could  back 
it  up  by  defending  themselves  against  the 
hounds  used  on  the  occasion,  and  if  it  were 
possible  to  exterminate  the  whole  pack, 
ere    Wirz    eould     ride    back,    and    secure 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


13 


another,  they  could  probably  make  good 
their  escape. 

The  fact  that  they  had  these  two  revolv- 
ers was  a  potent  one  and  gave  them  much 
hope. 

They  dared  not  communicate  their  inten- 
tions, but  to  a  very  few  among  the  prisoners, 
for  fear  of  betrayal,  for  in  such  a  great  mass 
of  men  it  was  only  to  be  expected  that  there 
were  spies,  and  those  of  the  Judas'  type. 

Those  whom  they  did  trust  with  the  secret 
wished  them  godspeed,  and  the  longing  look 
in  their  eyes  told  better  than  words  could 
have  done  how  fondly  they  wished  it  was 
the  favor  of  Providence  that  they  should 
be  members  of  the  fortunate  little  party. 

Gladly  would  they  have  assumed  any  risk 
in  order  that  the  ehauce  might  be  given 
them  of  once  more  breathing  unpolluted 
air,  and  being  again  in  the  presence  of  those 
they  loved. 


for  their  venture  at  sundown,  it  was  now 
the  critical  hour. 

The  doctor  was  first. 

He  had  his  medicine  box  in  his  hand ;  and, 
as  he  came  to  the  guard,  he  stopped  to  in- 


uire  as  to  how  some  ailment  of  the  Con 
federate,  whom  he  was  treating,  was  pro- 
gressing. 

Then  with  a  little  light  badinage 
ed  on,  as  the  guard  supposed,  to  visit  some 
rebel  soldier. 

Archie,  though  apparently  busy,  was 
keenly  watching  from  a  window  of  the  hos- 
pital ;  and,  when  he  saw  his  father  pass  the 
guard,  he  knew  that  thus  far  the,  scheme 
had  proven  successful. 

He  had  the  pass  in  his  possession,  and 
would  experience  no  difaculty  in  using  it, 
as  he  had  frequently  done  this  before. 

There  was  no  time  to  be  lost,  however. 

At  dark  he  was  supposed  to  be  among  the 
rest  of  the  prisoners  in  the  pen,  and  he  must 
not  be  m  the  hospital  building  when  the 
guard  came  to  escort  to  their  miserable 
quarters  those  of  the  prisoners  who  had 
been  detailed  to  perform   the  work  in  the 


any  notice  would  be  taken  of  it,  tor  he  had 
prepared  for  this  very  thing  by  going  into 
the  pen  before  the  guard  arrived  on  several 
previous  nights. 

He  waited  some  ten  minutes. 

They  were  the  longest  minutes  he  ever 
passed  in  all  his  life,  and  seemed  like  as 
many  hours. 

He  was  compelled  to  possess  his  soul  in 
patience,  and  try  to  think  of  other  things. 

Home  came  up  before  his  eyes,  as  it  had 
on  battlefield  and  in  bivouac,  and  he  found 
himself  thinking  of  the  dear  little  mother 
who  would  be  bowed  down  with  grief  when 
she  heard  of  his  death,  or  capture  which  al- 
most meant  the  same  thing. 

Another  face  came  before  his  mental 
vision. 

How  would  Muriel  take  the  news  ? 

His  heart  beat  quick  and  with  almost  suf- 
focating force,  when  he  realized  that  he  was 
now  about  to  take  the  chance,  not  only  to 
save  his  own  life  for  the  dear  ones  at  home, 
but  to  take  with  him  the  father  and  hus- 
band, who  had  been  mourned  as  dead  these 
two  years  and  more. 

Oh,  how  proud  and  happy  he  would  be  to 
see  the  little  mother  once  again,  clasped  in 
the  arms  that  were  all  the  world  to  her. 

His  whole  frame  thrilled  with  emotion 
as  he  thought  of  it,  and  for  the  time  being, 
he  almost  forgot  where  he  was. 

Then  he  suddenly  became  conscious  that 
the  sun  had  reached  the  prescribed  limit, 
and  that  the  ten  minutes  he  had  marked  out 
for  his  delay,  had  slipped  by. 

Summoning  all  his  self  control  by  remem- 
bering that  everything  rested  with  him,  he 
left  his  position,  and  walked  leisurely  to- 
ward the  guard. 

His  pass  insured  his  going  on,  and  as  there 
was  nothing  in  the  looks  of  the  young  man 
that  betokened  in  any  way  his  intentions, 
the  man  on  duty  merely  glanced  at  the  pa- 
per, and  allowed  him  exit. 

Had  it  been  necessary,  the  two  men  would 
have  forged  a  pass,  such  was  their  deter- 
mination not  to  let  aught  stand  in  the  way 
of  their  undertaking,  but  thanks  to  good 
fortune,  they  had  not  been  compelled  to  re- 
sort to  this  exigency. 

So  long  as  he  was  in  sight  of  those  who 
weie  around  the  prison  and  hospital,  Archie 
walked  about  very  leisurely,  and  finally  en- 
tering a  hut  which  he  knew  would  have  no 
occupants  at  that  hour,  he  waited  for  dark- 


and  soon  after  the  king  of  day  had  vanished 
from  view  in  the  west,  darkness  crept  over 
thH  land. 

When  assured  that  it  was  gloomy  enough 
for  his  purpose,  Archie  left  the  hut,  and 
made  direct  around  the  base  of  the  little 
hill  to  the  point  where  he  had  agreed  to 
meet  his  father. 

He  had  no  sooner  given  the  signal  after 


ed  hands  over  the  success  that  had  already 
attended  their  effort  at  escape. 

It  was  now  pitch  dark. 

Their  next  move  was  to  reach  the  tree,  in 
whose  cavity  had  been  placed  the  provisions 
they  had  collected. 

To  do  this  in  such  utter  darkness,  they 
must  rely  almost  wholly  on  their  good  judg- 
ment, yet  they  seemed  singularly  fortunate 
for  the  doctor  announced  that  he  had 
found  the  tree  they  looked  for. 

As  he  put  his  hands  into  the  cavity,  he 
uttered  a  low  cry  of  surprise  and  vexation, 
for  it  was  empty. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

YANKEES     AT     BAY. 

At  first,  a  feeling  of  keen  disappointment 
was  what  came  upon  the  two  men  when 
the  discovery  was  made  that  the  hollow 
tree  did  not  contain  the  package  of  food 
they  had  so  zealously  collected,  and  hidden 
away  for  this  emergency. 

They  had  relied  so  much  upon  it,  that  it 
was  now  apt  to  prove  a  very  serious  loss  to 
them. 

All  at  once,  however,  the  doctor  made  the 
startling  discovery,  that  it  was  all  a  mistake 
—he  had  gone  to  the  wrong  tree. 

He  realized  this  from  the  fact  that  the 
hole  in  this  one  was  on  the  eastern  side 
while  that  in  which  the  food  was  secreted, 
was  due  north. 

This  cheered  them  wonderfully,  and  the 
next  thing  in  order  was  to  again  get  their 
bearings,  which  was  soon  done,  and  in  five 
minutes  the  precious  package  was  in  their 
possession. 

So  far,  good. 

The  stars  were  shiuiog  brightly  by  this 
time,  and  as  long  as  this  was  the  case,  they 
know  there  would  be  iittle  or  no  difiiculty 
in  getting  their  bearings  wlieneverit  became 
necessary. 

How  often  had  their  eyes  been  turned 
longingly  upon  that  bright  north  star,  while 
their  minds  were  busy  with  the  thoughts  of 
those  whose  homes  lay  under  it,  as  it  seemed 
to  them,  in  their  far  away  Southern  prison. 
That  star  proved  a  beacon  to  many  a  weary 
Union  soldier,  escaped  from  rebel  prisons, 
for  well  they  knew  that  if  they  headed  to- 
ward it,  they  must  at  last  come  to  the  land 
of  freedom,  where  loving  arms  were  await- 
ing them. 

The  two  men  had  already  mapped  out 
their  intended  course  as  far  as  was  practi- 
cable. 

They  headed  due  north,  walked  a  mile  or 
so  in  the  shelter  of  the  trees,  crossed  a  plan- 
tation, where  the  lights  in  the  negro  shan- 
ties were  the  only  signs  of  life,  and  then 
struck  a  dirt  road  which  seemed  to  run  in 
the  direction  they  required. 

All  this  had  taken  quite  a  time,  though 
they  were  still  within  hearing  distance  of 
the  prison  pen,  and  the  murmur  that  always 
marks  the  presence  of  a  vast  multitude  wa-s 
borne  to  them  on  the  balmy  breeze  of  that 
September  night. 

They  suddenly  became  conscious  while 
standing  thus  upon  the  dirt  road  and  listen- 
ing, that  an  unusual  uproar  had  sounded. 

Had  the  prisoners,  driven  to  frenzy,  at- 
tacked  the  guards  in  the  endeavor  to  force 
their  way  out. 

Knowiug  what  the  orders  of  the  monster, 
Wirz,  were  in  such  an  emergency,  the  two 
meu  shuddered  as  they  continued  to  listen, 
expecting  to  hear  the  roar  of  the  cannon 
placed  near  by  which  would  sound  the  death 
knell  of  thousands. 

>fosuch  souud  came. 

They  knew,  therefore,  as  the  clamor  grad- 
ually died  away,  that  some  other  cause  must 
have  been  at  the  foot  of  it,  and  that  perhaps 
most  of  the  racket  had  been  made  by  the 
guards. 

Was  it  their  escape  ? 

This  alone  could  not  be  the  cause,  for  as  a 
general  thing  they  were  very  quiet  about 
such  matters,  and  Wirz  seldom  started  in 
pursuit  before  morning. 

From  far  away  the  baying  of  hounds  came 
to  them,  and  they  could  not  but  start  to 
think  that  the  work  had  already  begun. 

What  caused  such  haste '/ 

Perhaps  other  prisoners  had  also  escaped. 


ini;;ht  l>i*  that  some  ut  the  men  had  succeed- 
ed in  getting  out. 

The   more    they    numbered,     the   better 
chance  for  some  to  get  away,  providing  they 


known  that  the  dogs  were  on  another  trail 
than  their  own;  but  these  two  were  brave, 
unselfish  heroes,  who  would  have  assumed 
additional  risk  in  order  to  help  any  of  the 
poor  boys  in  the  prison  pen. 

Therefore,  when  the  fact  became  manifest 
that  the  hounds  had  struck  their  trail,  the 
doctor  shut  his  teeth  hard,  and  drew  his  re- 
volver. 

"  They  are  after  us,  my  boy  ;  but,  thank 
God,  we  are  prepared !  Better  us  than  after 
any  poor  souls  who  may  have  escaped  to- 
night. If  my  hand  has  not  forgotten  its  cun- 
ning, that  infamous  Wirz  will  have  less 
hounds  to  hunt  men  down  when  we  are  done 
with  them.  Come,  Archie,  we  are  too  close 
to  the  prison.  We  must  makeadash  through 
the  wood  yonder  and  then  pick  out  a  place 
to  waylay  the  brutes." 

They  lost  no  more  time. 

The  hounds  were  pressing  swiftly  on,  and 
gaining  with  every  passing  minute. 

The  moon,  but  a  battel  ed  hulk  of  a  once 
proud  queen,  now  arose  in  the  east,  and  her 
light,  though  none  of  the  best,  proved  very 
grateful  to  our  friends  in  their  passage 
through  the  wood. 

At  length,  tired  of  this  rapid  flight,  and, 
believing  that  the  hounds  must  now  be  close 
upon  them,  the  two  men  determined  to  make 
a  stand. 

The  moonlight  sifted  through  the  leaves, 
but  dimly  illuminated  the  spot,  yet  it  was 
amply  sufficient  for  their  purpose. 

They  held  their  weapons  in  readiness, 
and  crouched  close  together  behind  a  fallen 
log. 

Keenly  they  watched  the  space  in  front 
for  the  rush  of  the  hounds,  and  they  had 
not  long  to  wait  before  a  huge,  tawny  brute 
leaped  into  view. 

He  crouched  at  sight  of  them,  probably 
for  a  death-spring ;  but  the  doctor  was  too 
quick  for  the  brute,  and,  just  as  others  of  his 
ilk  sprang  into  view,  the  leader  fell  over 
with  a  leaden  pellet  in  his  brain. 

Then  the  fun  began,  and  raged  fast  and 
furious  for  a  short  space  of  time. 

Archie  was  no  interior  shot  with  the  re- 
volver, and  at  a  time  like  this,  when  there 
was  so  much  at  stake  he  was  very  apt  to  do 
remarkable  execution,  in  spite  of  the  draw- 
backs attending  them. 

If  they  cried  "  havoc  "  when  they  let  loose 
those  dogs  of  war,  then  the  dogs  got  the 
worst  of  it. 

Only  one  of  the  brutes  eluded  the  fire 
enough  to  reach  the  log;  and,  as  he  put  his 
paws  upon  it  and  glared  into  the  faces  of  the 
two  men  like  a  demon,  his  brains  were  scat- 
tered by  a  shot  from  the  doctor  who  pushed 
his  weapon  close  up  to  the  dog's  eye,  as  he 
pulled  the  trigger. 

Victory  I 

The  two  men  could  not  but  feel  elated 
when  they  realized  that  the  hounds  had  suc- 
cumbed to  their  prowess ;  but  all  was  not  yet 

From  among  the  trees  there  suddenly 
leaped  out  two  men  in  gray. 

They  were  guards  from  Andersonville. 

So  sudden  was  the  attack,  coming  from  a 
quarter  where  they  had  not  suspected  any 
danger  to  be,  that  the  two  brave  men  were 
taken  somewhat  at  a  disadvantage,  and 
when  the  guards  hurled  themselves  upon 
them,  it  seemed  as  though  all  was  lost. 

After  that  first  sinking  sensation,  their 
courage  revived.  They  remembered  what 
was  at  stake,  and  became  nerved  with  al- 
most superhuman  power. 

The  man  with  whom  Archie  fought  was  a 
perfect  devil,  and  he  swore  frightfully  as  he 
found  himself  balked  in  the  endeavor  to 
clasp  the  ex-prisoner's  throat  in  his  horny 

They  whirled  to  and  fro  like  giant  oaks  in 
the  embrace  of  a  tornado,  bending  and 
writhing,  yet  the  rebel  could  not  accomplish 
his  desire. 

He  finally  found  himself  thrown  half  a 
dozen  feet  away  with  terrible  force. 

Believing  him  out  of  the  way,  Archie 
turned  to  assist  his  father,  when  a  revolver 
cracked,  and  the  bullet  creased  his  neck. 

Whirling  around,  he  saw  his  late  antagon- 
ist on  his  knees,  and  lin  the  act  of  taking  a 
second  aim. 

He  saw  more. 

The  moonlight  fell  full  upon  the  face  of 
the  rebel  marksman,  as  he  knelt  there,  and 
revealed  the  repulsive  features  of  the  very 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


carceration  at  AndersonTille. 

Heaven  had  given  him  the  chance  to  keep 
hifl  vow. 

As  the  rebel  guard  flred,  Archie  dropped. 
Then  raising  his  own  revolver,  he  sent  the 
last  feullet  it  contained  into  the  brain  of  the 
murderous   guard   in   gray,    and    with    his 


against  whom  they  had  to  contend. 

He  would  watch  the  dead  line  no  more  for 
victims. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THROUGH   THE  SWAMP. 

Believed  of  his  own  enemy,  Archie  now 
turned  with  no  little  anxiety  to  see  how  hia 
father  was  progressing,  but  there  was  no 
reason  for  any  fear  in  that  direction. 

The  doctor  had  always  been  a  man  of  un- 
common caliber,  both  as  regarded  mental 
and  bodily  strength ;  and  though  being  in- 
carcerated two  and  a  half  years  ia  rebel 
prisons,  was,  as  a  general  rule,  rather  de- 
moralizing to  those  unfortunate  enough  to 
find  themselves  there,  he  had,  owing  to  cir- 
cumstances, been  able  to  retain  a  fair  share 
of  his  energies,  having  been  in  the  main  em- 
ployed in  the  hospitals  connected  with  the 
prisons. 

It  had  been  nip  and  tuck  between  himself 
and  the  guard  for  a  minute  or  so. 

To  all  appearances,  it  would  seem  as  though 
they  were  well  matched,  and  a  looker-on 
must  have  possessed  cunning  eyes  indeed,  to 
be  able  to  declare  which  of  the  two  was  the 
most  likely  to  win  in  the  end. 

When,  however,  the  report  of  the  other 
guard's  revolver  rang  out,  a  thrill  passed 
through  the  frame  of  the  Union  soldier. 

From  his  position  he  could  not  see  the 
others,  and  hence,  knew  not  but  that  his 
darling  boy  had  been  laid  low  by  this  cruel 
shot. 

Uttering  a  low  cry  of  fury,  he  hurled  him- 
self on  his  antagonist  with  additional  vigor, 
and  the  affair  was  speedily  decided. 

Then  it  was  the  two  shots  rang  out. 

As  to  the  result  of  these,  there  could  be 
little  doubt,  for  the  wild  cry  of  the  stricken 
guard  told  that  he  would  hunt  escaped  pris- 
oners no  more. 

The  other  fellow,  realizing  that  he  was 
now  alone  in  the  fight,  and  tnat  further  re- 
sistance would  only  be  followed  by  the  loss  of 
his  life,  surrendered  at  this  juncture  uncon- 
ditionally. 

When  Archie,  relieved  of  his  foe,  sprung 
toward  the  spot  where  he  knew  he  snould 
And  the  others,  he  was  astonished  and  none 
the  less  pleased  to  discover  his  father  cover- 
ing the  second  rebel  with  his  revolver,  the 
lefiow  crouching  at  his  feet. 

Victory  was  theirs,  but  they  had  no  time 
to  lose. 

At  any  moment  they  might  be  surprised 
by  others  of  the  Confederates,  and  all 
chances  of  escape  taken  away  from  them. 

The  gallant  tight  agaiust  dogs  and  men 
had  gained  for  them  a  chance  to  continue 
their  flight,  which  must  not  be  thrown 
away,  but  there  was  one  duty  which  must 
be  performed  ere  they  could  continue  their 
onward  progress. 

The  remaining  guard  was  quickly  but 
firmly  secured  to  a  tree,  where  his  comrades 
would  find  him  eventually,  when  attracted 
by  his  shouts  they  were  drawn  to  the  spot. 

Then,  what  weapons  the  two  men  had  car- 
ried were  secured,  for  the  desperate  Fed- 
erals knew  full  well  what  dangers  lay  be- 
fore them,  and  also,  how  those  dangers 
would  lose  half  their  terror  when  they  were 
well  armed  to  cope  with  them. 

Thus  arranging  matters,  they  left  the 
scene  of  their  late  struggle,  and  strode  on- 
ward. 

No  one  could  know  better  than  they  what 
terrible  dangers  they  were  incurring  by  this 
bold  adventure,  for  after  slaying  the  guard 
and  the  pet  dogs  of  the  fierce  jailer,  nothing 
could  be  expected  but  death  in  case  of  re- 
capture. Wirz  might  overlook  the  death  of 
the  man,  but  he  would  never  forgive  the 
slaying  of  his  dogs. 

Still,  animated  by  the  thought  of  the  far- 
away Northern  home,  the  magnet  that 
raised  the  drooping  spirits  of  many  a  man 
during  such  times  as  these,  our  two  heroes 
were  ready  to  do  and  dare  all  things,  with 
the  belief  that  God  would  carry  them 
through  in  safety,  and  that  in  the  end  it 
would  be  all  right. 

The  moon  rising  at  such  an  opportune 
moment  had  been  of  much  value  to  them, 
and  was  likely  to  prove  even  more  so  in  their 
further  advance,  for  the  route  was  entirely 


unknown,  and  they  we 
ger  of  falling  into  holes 

One  thing  they  noticed,  and  this  was  the 
fact,  that  as  they  advanced,  the  ground  was 
gradually  assuming  the  nature  of  a  swamp. 

The  trees  grew  more  densely  and  were  fes- 
tooned with  trailing  creepers  and  hanging 
moss. 

Underfoot  the  walking  had  become  more 
difficult  because  of  the  treacherous  nature 
of  the  ground,  and  more  than  once  had  they 
been  compelled  to  retrace  their  steps  in 
order  to  find  firm  footing  again 

Once  or  twice  they  heard  splashing  noises 
to  one  side  of  them,  and  upon  the  impulse 
of  the  moment  their  hands  sought  their 
weapons,  but  upon  second  thought  the  lat- 
ter were  not  di-awn. 

The  swamp  was  alive  with  animated  na- 
ture, and  this  splashing  sound  was  undoubt- 
edly caused  by  alligators,  of  which  reptiles 
there  were  plenty  to  be  found  in  any  South- 
ern swamp. 

Still  the  sounds  were  not  pleasant  to  hear, 
though  far  preferable  to  the  baying  of 
hounds,  which  their  ears  were  stretched  to 
catch. 

Though  already  weary,  they  could  not 
think  of  resting  while  so  near  the  terrible 
prison  pen,  but  must  continue  the  toilsome 
march  until  dawn,  when  they  would  find 
some  place  of  shelter  where  they  could 
sleep  the  greater  part  of  the  day. 

Unconsciously  their  minds  went  back  to 
the  prison  from  which  they  had  so  lately  es- 
eaped.and  their  hearts  were  full  of  sympathy 
for  those  who  were  within  those  rough  walls, 
yet  there  were  probably  many  there  who 
would  rather  remain  to  suffer  the  tortures 
of  outrageous  fortune  than  by  a  bold  ven- 
ture start  upon  the  dangerous  road  to  free- 
dom. 

The  time  passed  slowly  on. 

Our  friends  made  good  progress,  but  much 
time  was  unavoidal)ly  lost  because  of  the 
swamp. 

In  order  to  follow  the  vagaries  of  the  path 
upon  which  they  chanced  to  alight  they 
were  often  compelled  to  go  in  a  direction  al- 
most opposite  to  that  in  which  they  desired 
to  make  their  way. 

More  than  this,  they  frequently  missed 
this  peculiar  ridge  of  higher  ground,  and 
much  valuable  time  was  wasted  searching 
for  it,  all  of  which  would  have  been  avoid- 
ed could  they  have  met  a  friendly  darky 
who  would  have  served  as  their  guide. 

About  an  hour  before  dawn  they  heard 
loud  voices  to  the  right,  and  believing  they 
were  discovered  awaited  the  attack,  but  as 
it  did  not  come  they  advanced  cautiously. 

It  was  then  discovered  that  the  voices 
proceeded  from  a  party  of  threehunters,  en- 
camped on  what  would  appear  to  be  an 
island  in  the  morass. 

They  were  quarreling  over  some  trivial 
matter,  and  appeared  to  be  young  Georgia 

glanters,  though  why  they  were  not  in  the 
onfederate  army  at  this  time  was  a  fact 
which  the  two  Federals  could  not  make  out 
at  first,  though  presently,  from  some  words 
pped,  they  learned  that  they  were  home 


these  three  hot-bloods,  Archie  and  his  father 
crept  slowly  and  cautiously  past  the  island, 
keeping  upon  its  border  and  still  following 
the  ridge. 

Eventually,  they  left  it  behind  them,  and 
were  once  more  started  on  their  journey, 
the  excited  voices  of  the  hunters  gradually 
dying  away. 

The  swamp  was  apparently  of  no  mean 
dimensions,  for  when  daylight  peeped  upon 
them  they  were  still  within  its  confines,  and 
apparently  as  far  from  being  free  from  its 
tortuous  windings  as  ever. 

Their  next  thought  was  for  the  day. 

Rest  they  must  have  at  all  hazards,  and 
both  of  them  were  hungry  as  so  many  bears. 

Since  nightfall  they  had  passed  through 
much  that  was  calculated  to  try  their 
strength  and  arouse  their  appetites  which 
must  now  be  satisfied. 

Half  a  mile  further  on  the  swamp  appeared 
to  be  broken,  for  islands  like  that  upon 
which  the  three  hunters  had  been  encamped 
became  more  frequent. 

Upon  one  of  these  they  determined  to 
spend  the  day,  and  were  soon  busily  en- 
gaged in  breaking  their  fast.  When  appe- 
tites had  been  satiated  they  sheltered;them- 
selves  in  the  dense  bushes  and  slept,  totally 
unconscious  of  the  fearful  danger  that  was 
swooping  down  upon  them,  and  threatening 
them  with  a  terrible  death. 

Archie  opened  his  eyes. 

It  was  still  daylight,  and  yet  he  seemed  to 
comprehend  the  fact  beyond  all  others  that 
1  the  day  was  far  spent,  arid  that  the  sun  was 


continual  dan-  I  two-thirds  of  his  jovimey  down  the  western 


sky. 

Though  this  came  to  him  a§  a  matter  of 
course,  he  could  not  at  first  determine  where 
he  was,  nor  what  had  been  the  cause  of  his 
sudden  awaking. 

He  had  been  dreaming  of  home— and  was 
once  more  a  boy  among  his  associates  at 
school ;  and  so  vivid  had  been  the  dream, 
that,  upon  awaking,  he  was  naturally  con- 
fused. 

Above  him  were  the  cypress  trees  of  the 
south,  with  their  trailing  streamers  of  vines 
and  moss,  and  between  their  branches  he 
could  here  and  there  catch  a  glimpse  of  the 
intensely  blue  sky  beyond. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

HUNTED   LIKE   BEASTS. 

Then  it  all  came  back  to  him. 

He  comprehended  that  they  had  slept  al- 
most the  whole  day,  and  yet  what  was  it  that 
had  aroused  him  from  such  a  sound  sleep  ? 

Even  as  he  lay  there  with  his  brows  knit  as 
though  puzzling  over  the  matter,  there  came 
through  the  cypress  swamp  the  sharp,  clear 
notes  of  a  horn. 

Archie  shuddered. 

He  had  heard  that  horn  before,  when  Wirz, 
the  savage  jailer,  was  ready  to  start  out  upon 
his  human  hunt,  and  such  was  the  detesta- 
tion with  which  he  regarded  the  man  and 
all  that  pertained  to  him,  that  a  blast  from 
that  trumpet  would  almost  have  been  sufh- 
cient  to  have  aroused  him  from  the  dead. 

This,  then,  was  what  had  awakened  him 
from  his  sound  sleep. 

But  for  the  foolishness  of  the  man  who 
blew  the  trumpet,  evidently  to  bring  his 
comrades  together,  they  might  have  come 
upon  the  two  escaped  prisoners  still  sleeping, 
and  have  surrounded  them  while  they  re- 
mained unconscious  0*  their  deadly  peril. 

Not  a  second  was  to  be  lost. 

The  pursuers  were  3lose  at  hand,  and  it 
would  not  be  surprising  if  they  reached  the 
little  island  before  those  whom  they  sought 
had  left  it,  being  unacquainted  with  the 
topography  of  the  swamp. 

From  the  fact  that  the  bugle  notes  had 
come  from  the  direction  where  they  had  been 
when  making  their  way  toward  the  island,  it 
was  to  be  inferred  that  they  were  advan<-ing 
along  the  same  path,  and  if  this  were  indeed 
so,  theu  all  hope  of  escape  in  that  direction 
was  cut  off. 

This  thing  flashed  into  his  mind  as  he 
sprung  hastily  to  his  feet. 

The  doctor  lay  not  flve  yards  away,  sleep- 
ing heavily.  Evidently  he  had  not  heard 
the  terrible  sound  which  had  so  startled  the 
younger  man ;  yet,  no  sooner  did  Archie  lay 
his  hand  upon  him,  than  the  doctor  opened 
his  eyes  with  that  quiet  self-possessed  look 
that  Archie  remembered  of  yore,  and  seemed 
to  ask  what  it  meant. 

A  few  words  put  him  in  possession  of  the 
facts  bearing  on  the  case,  and  then  he  was  on 
his  feet  ready  for  the  flight. 

Already  could  they  hear  the  voices  of  their 
pursuers  among  the  trees,  and  at  one  point 
could  even  see  them  walking  in  single  file 
along  the  ridge  with  a  mulatto  in  the  lead, 
evidently  a  guide. 

Their  number  astonished  and  disconcerted 
Archie,  for  he  had  confidently  hoped  and 
believed  that  if  the  worst  came  they  might 
make  a  stand  and  give  their  foes  battle,  but 
these  men  would  outnumber  them  six  to  one 
at  least. 

Flight  seemed  to  be  their  only  hope,  and 
there  was  not  much  that  was  encouraging  in 
that. 


what  would  be  their  fate? 

Perhaps  only  the  one  path  led  to  the 
island. 

If  so,  then  their  case  was  indeed  desper- 
ate. 

They  now  saw  their  stupidity  in  not  seek- 
ing a  means  of  escape  before  they  went  to 
sleep,  and  yet  they  could  hardly  be  blamed 
for  such  an  error,  seeing  that  they  were  so 
weary  and  wretched  at  that  time. 

The  worst  had  now  come,  and  it  was  an 
open  question  as  to  whether  the  Confederates 
would  gobble  them  up,  or  be  given  the  slip. 


It  was  far  from  inviting. 

The  swamp  stretched  out  before  them  with 
its  trees  and  hummocks  at  their  bases,  but 
there  was  no  sign  of  a  ridge. 

There  was  some  reason  for  hope,  because  of 
the  fact  that  islands  had  now  appeared  in 
the  swamp,  and  both  of  them  believed  they 
were  now  near  the  terminus  of  the  place.    It 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


15 


this  were  so  then  perhaps  the  muck  would 
not  be  90  deep  as  it  had  heretofore  been. 

There  was  no  choice  left  them. 

Already  the  shouts  of  their  enemies  an- 
nounced that  they  had  reached  the  firm 
land,  and  were  scattering  OTer  it  in  the  hunt 
for  those  whom  they  had  every  reason  to 
suppose  were  there. 

Archie  took  the  lead. 


him  to  assume  the  greater  risk 

He  relied  much  upon  his  keen  eyes  to  tell 
him  in  what  direction  to  go,  but  keener  than 
they  had  been  deceived  by  the  treacherous 
aspect  of  a  swamp,  and  he  might  be  going  to 
his  death. 

He  soon  sunk  almost  to  his  knees,  and  it 
was  difBcult  work  to  proceed  with  any  haste, 
but  when  men  are  in  such  a  desperate  pickle 
they  can  accomplish  wonders. 

The  doctor  followed  behind,  closely  at 
first,  but  gradually  losing  ground  unknown 
to  Archie,  who,  young  and  vigorous,  pushed 
ahead  with  the  determination  to  do  or  die 
written  upon  every  line  of  his  brave  bronzed 
face. 

In  his  hand  he  grasped  one  of  the  large  re- 
volvers that  had  been  secured  from  the 
dead  guard,  and  with  the  proper  person  this 
could  be  made  almost  as  deadly  as  a  repeat- 
ing rifle. 

Some  distance  had  been  gone  over  when  a 
series  of  wild  shouts  rang  out  in  their  rear. 

They  were  discovered. 

The  rebels  rushed  to  the  edge  of  the  swamp 
island,  and  then  came  a  rattling  discharge  of 
guns  and  pistols. 

All  that  was  in  favor  of  the  escaping  fugi- 
tives was  the  fact  that  a  peculiar  dusky  light 
deceived  the  eyes  of  the  marksmen,  and  they 
shot  wild. 

With  (eeth  tightly  clinched,  Archie  strode 
onward,  steadily  increasing  the  distance  be- 
tween himself  and  the  men  upon  the  island, 
but  still  they  continued  the  wild  fusillade, 
which  thus  far  had  proven  perfectly  harm- 
less, as  it  was  no  easy  task  taking  aim  at  ob- 
jects under  the  branches  and  interlocked 
vines  where  the  shadows  danced  at  hide  and 
seek,  and  continued  gloom  seemed  to  hang 
perpetually,  though  the  rebels  themselves, 
stnnding  on  the  swamp  land  were  thrown 
out  in  bold  relief. 

All  at  once  Archie  failed  to  hear  the  steady 
thump,  thump  behind  him,  which  proclaimed 
the  fact  that  his  father  was  following. 

As  he  turned,  filled  with  wild  forebodings 
of  misfortune,  it  flashed  into  his  mind  that 
his  father  had  been  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the 
enemy  more  than  himself,  being  in  the  rear 
— a  fact  that  had  not  struck  him  before. 

He  saw  the  doctor  had  taken  refuge  be- 
hind the  elevated  hummock  of  a  tree,  and 
that  he  was  wounded  Archie  knew  at  a 
glance. 

Without  a  second's  hesitation  the  brave 
young  fellow  turned  and  plunged  back  over 
the  track  he  had  so  lately  followed,  striding 
as  it  were  into  the  very  jaws  of  death  for 
the  sake  of  one  who  was  all  the  world  to 
him— his  father. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A  CLOSE  SHAVE. 

It  was  a  daring  act  to  thus  turn  and  face 
those  who  were  now  launching  their  deadly 
bullets  at  him,  and  not  only  turn  but  ad- 
vance toward  them— but  Archie  thought 
nothing  of  this. 

With  him  it  was  but  the  workings  of  na- 
ture. 

His  father   was    in    danger— he  whom  he 


thoughts  of  personal  safety  and  natural  dis- 
cretion, such  as  might  possibly  have  iutruded 
themselves  had  it  been  only  a  castlHl  com- 
rade who  had  been  with  him,  flew  to  the 
winds  when  he  realized  that  the  doctor  had 
been  wounded. 

The  noble  father  had  made  no  sign,  had 
uttered  no  cry  for  help. 

He  knew  Archie's  nature  too  well  to  be- 
lieve he  would  not  come  back  to  him  if  he 
called,  and  for  that  very  reason  he  held  his 
peace. 

Better  that  one  escape  from  the  death  that 
hovered  over  them  than  that  both  go  down. 

It  chanced,  however,  that  Archie  had  him- 
self discovered  the  fact  that  his  father  no 
longer  pursued  the  same  course  at  his  heels, 
and  while  the  doctor  crouched  behind  the 
interlocked  roots  of  a  cypress  tree,  screened 
from  the  bullets  of  those  upon  the  little 
swamp  Island,  Archie  was  rushing  back  as 
fast  as  he  could  to  join  him. 

As  he  had  been  in  the  advance  the  rebels 
had  almost  wholly  lost  sight  of  him  in  the 


cypress  hummock,  they  turned  their  atten 
tion  to  the  other  fugitive,  firing  almost  at 
random  in  the  direction  he  had  gone. 

On  the  other  hand,  Archie  had  a  fine  view 
of  the  Confederates  as  they  stood  outlined 
upon  the  firm  land. 

Seized  with  a  sudden  idea  he  raised  his  re- 
volver and  sent  shot  after  shot  among  his 
foes. 

All  things  were  in  his  favor. 

The  long  revolver  was  almost  equal  to  a 
musket  for  its  carrying  capacities;  the 
rebels  were  ^ouped  together  and  presented 
a  fair  target  in  the  light,  and  besides,  Archie 
was  a  remarkable  marksman. 

It  was  little  wonder,  therefore,  that  he  did 
good  execution  among  the  graycoats  with 
the  bullets  he  rained  in  among  them. 

They  were  seized  with  consternation. 

What  did  this  mean  ? 

Three  of   their  number  down,    writhing 


deemed  the  game  fully  in  their  own  hands. 


Captain  Wirz  was  the  first  man 
his  wits  and  realize  the  danger  that  hovered 
over  them  all. 

He  ordered  a  hasty  retreat  to  the  shelter 
of  the  trees  and  bushes  just  back  of  their 
present  exposed  position,  and  the  rebels 
stood  not  upon  the  order  of  their  going  but 
leaped  wildly  away,  followed  by  several 
shots  from  Archie's  second  revolver  which 
he  had  drawn,  determined  to  give  the 
guards  and  men  hunters  all  they  desired. 

Thus  he  was  enabled  to  reach  the  side  of 
his  father  unmolested. 

When  the  rebels  had  gained  their  shelter 
and  glared  out  from  behind  trees  and 
bushes  to  discover  the  man  who  had  put 
them  to  flight  in  order  that  they  might  vent 
summary  vengeance  upon  him,  the  young 
soldier  had  vanished. 

They  knew  full  well  that  the  same  cypress 
hummock  that  sheltered  the  doctor  now  per- 
formed a  like  service  for  the  other. 

There  were  ways  in  which  they  might 
have  circumvented  the  two  escaped  prison- 
ers by  making  a  detour  through  the  swamp 
and  coming  upon  them  in  the  rear,  when, 
caught  between  two  fires,  they  must  inevi- 
tably go  down. 

Two  things  opposed  this  plan. 

In  the  first  place  night  was  fast  closing  in 
and  all  would  be  wrapped  in  darkness  ere 
they  could  make  the  circuit,  laborious  as  it 
must  prove,  wading  through  the  muck  of  the 
swamp. 

Then  again  they  had  a  healthy  respect  for 
the  weapons  of  the  man  who  had  already 
shown  himself  such  a  masterhand  with  the 
revolver. 

On  the  whole,  although  it  was  possible 
that  some  of  the  Confederates  might  be  dar- 
ing enough  to  attempt  such  an  undertaking, 
they  would  go  about  it  with  exceeding  cau- 
tion. 

When  Archie  reached  his  father's  side  he 
made  immediate  and  eager  inquiries  as  to 
the  nature  of  his  wound. 

He  was  greatly  cheered  to  find  that  it  was 
far  from  being  a  serious  one. 

The  bullet  nad  given  the  doctor  quite  a 
shock  however,  from  which  he  was  then 
slowly  recovering,  and  it  was  this  which  had 
made  him  believe  his  wound  was  greater 
than  it  really  proved. 

They  fortunately  had  made  all  provision 
for  such  an  emergency,  and  without  loss  of 
time  Archie  proceeded  to  dress  the  wound. 

In  less  than  ten  minutes  the  doctor  de- 
clared himself  like  a  new  man,  and  both 
ready  and  anxious  to  continue  the  flight 
through  Dixie  toward  the  Union  lines. 

It  was  deemed  wise  by  Archie,  however, 
to  linger  in  their  present  place  of  shelter  for 
half  an  hour  longer,  when  darkness  would 
have  settled  upon  the  swamp,  and  they 
would  run  no  gantlet  of  the  enemy's  fire  as 
must  inevitably  be  the  case  if  they  exposed 
themselves  while  daylight  lasted,  for  that 
the  rebels  were  still  hidden  behind  the  trees 
and  bushes  they  had  good  evidence. 

All  that  was  needed  to  prove  this  latter 
fact  was  for  Archie  to  thrust  out  his  cap  on 
the  end  of  a  stick  and  immediately  a  rifle 
sounded,  the  bullet  splashing  into  the  water 
beyond. 

The  time  passed  slowly  but  at  last  it  was 
quite  dark  enough  for  their  purpose. 

Silence  hovered  over  the  Southern  swamp, 
only  broken  now  and  then  by  the  discordant 
cry  of  some  night  bird  or  the  splash  of  a 
moving  alligator,  of  which  they  had  seen 
more  than  one  during  the  progress  of  their 
march  through  the  swamp. 

Archie  once  more  took  the  lead,  but  this 


time  he  was  careful  to  make  sure  that  his 
father  was  close  behind  him. 

Leaving  the  cypress  hummock  they  again 
turned  their  faces  in  the  direction  they  had 
been  going  when  brought  to  a  halt,  and 
slowly  pursued  their  diflicult  course  through 
the  swamp,  making  as  little  noise  as  possible. 

They  were  not  Jet  free  from  danger.  : 

So  long  as  they  were  in  a  hostile  country, . 
just  so  long  would  they  be  in  hourly  peril,  , 
and  just  so  long  must  their  nerves  be  con-  ' 
tinually  wrought  up,  expecting  constant , 
surprises. 

Through  the  swamp  they  went. 

Enemies  were  behind  them  they  knew  full ' 
well,  but  whether  their  retreat  had  been  cut 
off,  or  any  attempt  made  in  this  direction. 


as  to  be  almost  beneath  notice. 

Archie  was  a  trifle  anxious  in  regard  to  it, 
knowing  how  in  such  a  country  very  often 
a  scratch  may  eventually  be  the  death  of  a 
mau,  but  he  did  not  worry. 

Heaven  had  been  very  kind  to  them  so 
far,  and,  perhaps,  all  would  yet  be  well. 

Darker  grew  the  swamp  as  they  advanced, 
and  it  soon  became  evident  that  the  end  was 
not  yet,  though  they  really  believed  it  could 
not  last  much  longer. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  Archie  came 
to  a  sudden  pause. 

He  listened  intently  for  a  few  seconds; 
and  then,  catching  his  father  by  the  arm, 
drew  him  back  in  the  shelter  of  a  tree. 

A  splashing  sound  now  reached  the  ears 
of  the  doctor;  and,  a  minute  later,  he  saw  a 
moving  flgure. 

This  was  followed  by  a  second  and  a  third, 
until  flve  had  come  into  view.  Half  bend- 
ing, they  plodded  on  through  the  swamp  in 
single  file. 

They  were  heading  for  the  swamp  island, 
the  * 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

BLACK       FKIEN  D  S. 

It  did  not  need  any  magician  to  tell  the 
two  fugitives  who  these  flve  men  were. 

The  very  fact  of  their  heading  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  hummock,  behind  which  the 
two  men  had  been  hiding,  was  enough  to 
proclaim  the  fact  that  they  were  a  portion 
of  the  gang  Captain  Wirz  had  at  his  heels 
when  he  pursued  those  who  had  escaped 
from  Andersonville. 

As  a  usual  thing,  he  did  not  take  more 
than  a  couple  of  men  with  him  besides  the 
dogs;  but,  on  this  occasion,  he  knew  what 
ablebodied  men  he  had  to  contend  with. 

Besides,  he  had  lately  risen  from  a  sick 
bed,  and  felt  unusually  ferocious. 

The  general  outcry  which  had  followed 
the  escape  of  Archie  and  his  father  had 
created  quite  a  stir,  and  the  whole  neigh- 
borhood was  being  searched,  so  that  when  a 
trail  was  finally  struck  they  fiocked  after 
the  dogs,  thus  making  more  than  a  dozen 
who  were  on  hand  at  the  time  when  Archie 
scattered  them  so  effectually  with  his  re- 
volver. 

These  five  men  had  been  ordered  by  Wirz 
to  make  the  circuit  and  come  up  in  the  rear 
of  the  Federals  who  crouched  behind  the 
hummock,  keeping  a  sharp  lookout  as  they 
passed  through  the  swamp,  lest  those  whom 
they  sought  should  pass  them  by  in  the 
darkness. 

As  the  reader  has  seen,  this  was  just  what 
they  had  already  done. 

Our  friends  were  very  careful  not  to  make 
them  realize  their  mistake,  for  although  it 
would,  perhaps,  have  been  an  easy  matter 
to  have  utterly  demoralized  the  graycoat 
guards  by  a  few  quick  shots  from  their  re- 
volvers, there  was  really  no  telling  what 
mighthappen,  and,  besides,  they  were  averse 
to  shedding  human  blood  when  it  could  just 
as  well  be  avoided. 

No  sooner  had  the  Confederate  quintet 
of  guards  passed  out  of  sight  and  hearing, 
however,  than  the  hunted  Unionists  were  on 
the  move. 

The  sooner  they  left  the  hated  jailer  and 
his  cruel  minions  in  the  rear,  the  better  it 
would  be  for  their  health  and  comfort. 

They  knew  not  whether  they  would  be 
chased  beyond  the  swamp  by  these  fiends, 
but  the  chances  were  inclined  to  be  that 
wav. 

Their  first  duty  was  to  reach  dry  land. 

After  plodding  on  for  some  ten  minutes 
after  having  seen  the  guards  pass  them  by, 
Archie  made  a  very  pleasant  discovery. 

"  What  is  it  ?"  asked  the  doctor,  who  had 
detected  the  low  exclamation  he  gave  vent 
to.- 

"  I  think  we  have  struck  a  piece  of  luck. 


16 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY 


If  I  am  not  mistaken,  there  is  an  old  cordu- 
roy road  here  which  will  take  us  out  of  the 
swamp." 

Investigation  proved  the  truth  of  Archie's 

remarks,  for  there  was  au  old  corduroy  road 

running  across  one  end  of  the  swamp,  and  it 

.  was  this  they  had  now  come  upon. 

I     What  a  relief  it  was  to  stand  upon  the 

■  firm  logs,  after  having  been  so  long  iu  the 

muck  of  the  swamp. 
.     They  seemed  to  feel  invigorated  by  the 
change,  and  ready  to  push  on. 
1     One  great  danger  still  threatened  them. 

It  was  to  be  supposed  that  Captain  Wirz 
knew  of  the  corduroy  road  through  the 
end  of  the  swamp,  or,  if  not,  the  mulatto 
guide  who  had  brought  himself  and  men 
along  the  little  ridge,  would  undoubtedly 
make  him  aware  of  it. 

What  then  if  its  terminal  points  at  solid 
ground  were  placed  under  surveillance,  so 
that  death  could  be  meted  out  to  the  bold 
fugitives  as  they  attempted  to  pass  by  ? 

Under  the  circumstances,  caution  was 
quite  as  necessary  aa  it  had  ever  been  before, 
and  yet  they  meant  to  lose  no  time. 

With  revolvers  drawn  and  ready,  they 
moved  on,  and  finally  the  swamp  was  left 
behind. 

No  enemies  had  aa  yet  appeared,  and  they 
breathed  easier  when  once  more  in  the  for- 
est they  could  turn  their  faces  toward  the 
north,  and  press  forward,  knowing  that  al- 
though freedom  was  far  distant,  every  step 
took  them  closer  to  it. 

The  night  was  dark,  like  the  preceding 
one,  and  the  moon  would  not  rise  until  late. 

They  only  halted  a  little  while  to  clear  off 
the  swamp  raire  that  had  clung  tenaciously 
to  their  garments,  and  then  once  more  pro- 
ceeded on  their  way. 

Eventually  a  dirt  road  through  the  pine 
forest  debouched  upon  what  appeared  to  be 
a  veiy  good  pike,  and  as  its  general  direc- 
tion was  in  their  favor  they  stuck  to  it. 

The  danger  was  greater  so  far  as  dis- 
covery went  than  in  among  the  trees,  but  the 
traveling  was  much  easier,  and,  besides, 
they  were  in  no  danger  of  losing  themselves, 
as  the  stars  could  always  be  seen. 

They  were  careful,  however,  about  push- 
ing recklessly  on,  knowing  what  might  await 
them. 

When  they  finally  came  to  a  house  lying  to 
the  left  of  the  pike,  it  was  decided  that  they 
must  have  a  drink  of  water,  come  what 
might  of  the  venture. 

There  were  a  few  negro  huts  back  of  the 
main  building,  and  toward  these  they  made 
their  way 


agani. 

"  Who  dar?" 

The  voice  was  close  to  the  door,  and  beyond 
doubt  belonged  to  a  darky  of  the  male  sex. 

Archie  put  his  mouth  near  the  rickety 
door,  and  said,  in  a  low  but  perfectly  audi- 
ble voice : 

"  Uncle,  open  the  door.  We  are  two  Union 
soldiers  escaped  from  prison." 

Magic  words! 

When  did  they  ever  fail  to  work  upon  the 
heart  of  a  black  man  in  time  of  sore  distress? 
Few  thereare to-day  who,  when  hunted  and 


the  risi 

Perhaps  there  are  a  few  isolated  cases 
where  they  proved  treacherous,  but  these 
men  were  outcasts  from  the  slave  ranks,  men 
in  the  couHdenceof  their  masters,  and  whose 
backs  had  iii'\  er  f  il  1 1  he  lash,  though  through 
information  imi  aite-d  l>v  them  their  fellows 
had  often  suffered  cruel  torture. 

A  black  face  looked  out  from  the  opened 
.  door,  and  the  fugitives  were  drawn  within. 
When  the  little  window  had  been  duly 
screened,  alight  was  struck,  and  then  they 
saw  their  black  friend. 

He  was  evidently  a  field  hand,  used  to 
picking  cotton,  blati  as  the  ace  of  spades, 
yet  with  a  broad  grin  on  his  face,  and  a  hap- 
py light  in  his  eye  at  the  prospect  of  being 
able  to  do  something  for  the  soldiers  of  that 
great  manLiukum,  who  had  proclaimed  that 
they  should  be  free  men,  that  the  lash  should 
be  applied  to  their  backs  no  more,  and  that 
tliey  should,  in  the  place  of  being  mere  chat- 
tel property,  be  known  as  men  and  citizens 
of  the  Great  Republic. 

His  good  wife  was  called  down  quietly,  so 
as  not  to  arouse  the  pickaninnies,  as  Black 
Pete  etsplaiued ;  and  then,  from  the  material 
at  hand,  the  good  negress  concocted  a 
meal  which,  to  the  fugitives,  seemed  the  best 
they  had  ever  eaten,  although  at  another 
time  they  might  look  back  to  that  supper, 
and  smile  at  its  simplicity. 


Wonderfully  refreshed  by  this  hot  meal, 
they  kindly  refused  the  offer  of  the  negro  to 
remaiu  iu  his  hut  until  the  next  day. 

Andersonville  was  still  too  near  at  hand  to 
loiter,  and  the  greater  the  distance  they 
placed  between  the  hated  prison  and  their 
own  persons  the  better. 

When  the  darky  learned  that  they  could 
not  stay,  he  offered  to  pilot  them  on  their 
way,  and  take  them  to  such  a  point  that 
without  much  difficulty  they  could  reach 
the  cabin  of  a  friend  of  his  before  morning, 
to  whom  they  were  to  apply  for  lodging. 

This  offer  they  gladly  accepted,  and  were 
soon  on  their  way  again. 

Clouds  had  rolled  up  meanwhile,  and 
there  was  every  evidence  of  a  dreary  rain. 

Nothing  could  deter  such  brave  hearts, 
though,  and,  strengthened  by  the  cheer  that 
had  so  lately  been  set  before  them,  they 
truged  along  the  dusty  pike  in  company 
with  their  black  guide. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

CUDJO. 

It  was  early  dawn  when  the  two  fugitives 
reached  the.  cabin  of  Cudjo,  to  whom  they 
had  been  referred  for  assistance  on  their 
way  by  Black  Ben. 

He  had  gone  with  them  several  miles,  and 
before  leaving  them  had  explained  the  re- 
mainder of  the  journey  to  the  friendly  cab- 
in beyond  that  it  really  seemed  as  though  no 
one  could  mistake  the  way. 

Owing,  however,  to  the  intense  darkness, 
and  the  chilly,  uncomfortable  drizzle 
that  had  settled  down  more  in  the  shape  of 
a  heavy  fog  than  aught  else,  they  managed 
to  lose  their  course  several  times,  and  then 
only  with  thegreatest  difficulty  regained  the 
proper  road. 

When  finally  they  sighted  the  cabin  that 
had  been  so  minutely  described  to  them,  in 
the  early  dawn  of  another  day,  they  were 
glad,  indeed,  for,  wet  and  weary,  they  now 
had  a  chance  of  gaining  shelter  and  receiv- 
ing comfort. 

Cudjo  was  a  free  negro — that  is,  a 
former  lenient  master  had  allowed  him  to 
purchase  his  freedom  years  before,  having 
worked  in  a  mill  extra  hours  to  produce  the 
money  with  which  he  finally  bought  him- 
self. 

He  lived  alone  ui)on  a  little  patch  of 
ground,  and  made  money  in  various  ways — 
with  his  garden,  selling  vegetables,  and 
through  other  ohannels. 

It  was  well  known  that  he  had  a  wife  who 
was  the  slave  of  a  neighboring  planter,  and 
people  understood  that  for  a  long  time  back 
Cudjo  had  been  saving  up,  hoping  to  buy 
her. 

The  proclamation  of  President  Lincoln  had 
reached  the  cunning  darky,  and  he  was 
holding  the  two  thousand  dollars  back,  with 
which  he  had  expect«d  to  purchase  Liza,  his 
wife;  for,  if  in  a  short  time  the  war  must 
end,  and  she  be  free,  then  they  would  have 
need  of  this  sum  to  go  North  and  start  well 
in  life. 

They  rapped  on  the  door  again  and  again, 
but  there  was  no  answer. 

Cudjo  was  absent. 

Our  forlorn  fugitives  felt  their  hearts  sink 
as  this  fact  became  apparent,  for  they  had 
heard  so  much  of  his  stanch  loyalty  to  the 
Union,  that  they  had  hoped  to  be  cheered 
with  at  least  a  good  meal  and  shelter  for  the 
coming  day. 

Not  to  be  deterred,  they  tried  the  door  and 
found  it  open  to  their  touch. 

Once  inside,  the  fact  was  apparent  that  the 
black  master  was  away. 

Men  in  their  circumstances  could  not  stand 
on  ceremony.  They  were  ravenous  with 
hunger,  chilled  through  by  the  drizzly  rain 
and  sleepy  enough  to  drop  down  anywhere. 

A  fire  was  speedily  kindled,  and  while 
Archie  busied  himself  making  some  bean 
coffee,  the  doctor  cut  some  slices  from  a 
piece  of  bacon  and  fried  them  in  a  pan, 
together  with  some  potatoes.  There  was 
some  cold  pone  in  the  cupboard,  and  taken 
with  the  other  articles  they  made  out  a  fine 
meal. 

To  men  who  had  been  in  rebel  prisons  any 
length  of  time,  all  little  fastidious  notions  in 
regard  to  meals  and  victuals  were  unknown, 
and  they  were  ready  to  eat  and  enjoy  almost 
anything. 

When  the  meal  was  ended,  they  restored 
things  as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  condition 
they  had  been  before,  though  the  doctor 
cast  a  rueful  glance  at  the  hole  they  had 
made  in  the  side  of  bacon,  hanging  from  the 
rafter,  and  which,  of  course,  could  not  be 
replaced. 

The  next  thing  on  the  programme  was  to 
get  some  rest. 


It  was  really  dangerous  to  remain  in  the 
cabin  of  the  free  negro,  for  he  was  known  to 
have,  at  least,  a  leaning  toward  the  Union ; 
though  Cudjo  had  been  cunning  enough  to 
hide,  in  a  great  measure,  his  rabid  love  for 
the  boys  in  blue;  but  when  they  surveyed 
the  miserable  aspect  outside,  they  had  not 
the  heart  to  leave  their  shelter. 

In  ten  minutes  both  were  asleep  upon  the 
floor  of  the  cabin. 

At  first  they  had  intended  that  one  of  them 
should  remain  up  to  keep  watch,  but  this 
had  been  finally  abandoned,  and  they  hardly 
knew  when  they  laid  down,  so  qiokly  did 
sleep  overpower  them. 

How  long  they  slept  they  knew  not. 

They  were  awakened  by  heavy  footfalls, 
and  opening  their  eyes,   they  saw  standing 


Upon  his  face  was  the  most  curious  combi- 
nation of  astonishment,  pleasure  and  fear,  if 
such  a  thing  were  possible. 

Evidently  he  knew  who  they  were,  and 
although  pleased  at  their  coming  to  him  for 
help,  and  surprised  to  see  them  stretched  out 
upon  his  floor,  he  had  some  reason  for  the 
fear  which  was  so  plainly  written  upon  his 
face. 

'•  Hi,  yi;  what  dis  mean,  white  folks?" 

Realizing  who  this  must  be  who  had 
broken  iu  upon  their  slumber,  the  two  fugi- 
tives arose  to  their  feet. 

Cudjo  was  a  negro  of  giant  frame,  capable 
of  demoralizing  most  men  in  a  hand  to  hand 
combat,  and  should  an  ugly  fit  come  upor 
him,  he  might  prove  himself 
they  could  explain  matters. 

Archie  let  his  hand  fall  upon  the  butt  of 
one  of  his  revolvers. 

"Are  you  Cudjo?"  he  asked,  looking  into 
the  eyes  of  the  negro  with  his  peculiar 
smile. 

The  darkey  was  won  at  once. 

"Datam  me,  young  massa;  an'  I  dunno 
but  youse  must  be  dem  Linkum  boys  what 
hab  'scaped  from  de  prison  pen.  De  whole 
country  am  aroused.  I  'clar  ter  goodness 
youse  hab  killed  de  cap'ens  best  dogs,  an'  cut 
his  guard  down  by  more'n  one  man.  I  lub 
you  foah  dat,  young  massa.  Cudjo  hate  de 
dogs  an'  de  men,  an'  when  you  kill  dem  in 
de  swamp  ebery  nigger  dat  hear  de  news,  he 
kick  his  heels  together  an'  sing  in  his  pocket 
so  dat  de  sojers  wouldn't  hear.  But  how 
youse  find  Cud  jo's  hotel?" 

They  thereupon  explained  matters. 

Cudjo's  eyes  glistened  when  he  heard  the 
stirring  recommendation  that  his  black 
friend  had  given  him,  and  bringing  one 
clinched  flst  down  into  the  other  open  palm 
he  said,  earnestly : 

"  Dat  am  true,  ebery  word  of  it,  massa. 
Cudjo  am  all  Union,  flesh,  blood,  and  bones; 
but  wat  am  de  use  of  shouting  it  out  an'  get- 
ting a  bullet  in  de  brain.  I  hate  de  men 
wat  say  we  are  animals,  without  souls.  I 
hate  de  land  dat  hab  echoed  to  de  lash  an'  de 
cries  of  de  oppressed  people,  eber  since  dis 
republic  has  been  born.  I  hate  de  institution 
dat  tar  a  man  away  from  de  wife  of  his 
bosom,  an'  sells  'em  away  inter  Egypt.  De 
good  Lord  am  put  a  curse  on  dis  country 
because  of  dat,  an'  de  day  will  soon  come 
when  de  heel  of  de  Norf  will  be  pressed  on 
de  proud  Souf,  and  den  de  Lord  will  say,  'let 
my  people  go.' " 

The  negro  spoke  as  if  inspired,  and  there 
was  an  eloquence  rude  but  powerful  in  his 
rendering  of  these  words  that  impressed 
those  who  heard  him. 

It  was  plain  to  be  seen  that  he  was  no  or- 
dinary black  man.  The  same  struggling 
spirit  that  had  caused  him  to  labor  for  his 
own  freedom  first  and  then  work  to  buy  his 
wife,  would  ever  bring  him  to  the  front 
among  his  race. 

"  Dis  am  no  place  foah  youse.  my  massas, 
foah  dey  suspect  Cudjo  already  ob  aidin' 
more'n  one  poor  wretch  dat  'scape  from  An- 
dersonville. You  must  come  wid  me  at  once 
an'  I'll  lead  you  to  de  place  whar  dey  won't 
find  youse  in  a  hurry." 

Removing  all  traces  of  their  presence  iu 
the  cabin,  he  told  them  to  follow  him ;  and 
they  went  out  into  the  dreary  day. 

The  mist  was  still  hanging  heavy  over  the 
earth,  so  that  it  was  almost  as  safe  for  them 
to  be  abroad  as  at  night,  especially  when 
under  the  guidance  of  one  who  could  avoid 
dangerous  points. 


In  less  than  half  an  hour  Cudjo  brought 
p  at  quite  a  large  barn ;  the  house  of  the 
lantation  being  only  dimly  visible  through 


he  called  upon  a  friend  of  the  same 
color  as  himself,  the  man  who  had  charge  of 
the  horses,  and  presently  the  fugitives  were 
admitted  to  the  barn. 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


17 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

UNDER    THE     HAY. 

Hardly  had  the  two  dripping  fugitives 
been  drawn  into  the  barn  than  a  clatter 
of  horses'  hoofs  was  heard. 

There  could  be  no  mistaldug  the  sound — it 
meant  rebel  cavalry. 

Both  the  darkies  understood  it,  and  aftera 
hasty  consultation  in  low  tones,  their  new- 
friend,  who  had  been  introduced  to  them  by 
the  euphonious  name  of  Bijah,  came  up  to 
the  Federals. 

"I  'spect  dat  am  Massa  Coulton  back  agin. 
He  am  a  Confederate  kurnel  ob  boss.  Den 
agin  it  may  be  some  ob  dem  dat  am  lookin' 
foah  youse.  On  de  whole  we  think  you  had 
better  hide  widout  delay.  Cudjo  am  gwine 
afore  dey  set  eyes  on  bim.  He  come  again 
to-night  an'  start  you  on  de  right  road  Norf . ' ' 


not  knowing  whether  they  would  ever 
him  again,  and  then  followed  Bijah  up  into 
the  loft. 

Although  the  rebel  colonel  had  hardly  a 
horse  left  him  for  home  use,  the  few  negroes 
on  the  estate  had  harvested  a  hay  crop, 
about  the  only  thing  that  could  be  garnered 
without  much  labor,  and  the  loft  was  well 
filled. 

Under  this  hay  it  was  expected  that  the 
fugitives  were  to  hide. 

Archie  tunneled  in  first,  and  his  father  fol- 
lowed. 

When  they  had  entirely  vanished  from 
sight,  Bijah  pulled  the  hay  about  so  as  to 
effectually  screen  the  opening  they  had 
made,  and  then  went  below. 

His  last  surmise  was  correct,  for  those  who 
had  arrived  at  the  Georgia  mansion  were 
men  who  had  been  scouring  the  country  all 
day  for  the  fugitives,  and  were  in  no  pleas- 
ant state  of  mind. 

They  were  cavalrymen  who  had  no  con- 
nection with  the  command  of  the  owner  of 
the  estate,  and  they  wcie  there  for  business. 

In  fact,  they  had  bciii  informed  by  a  poor 
white  that  he  had  seen  the  two  fugitives  in 
company  with  a  negio,  heading  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  place,  anil  as  theie  was  no  other 
residence  for  miles  around,  it  was  quite  evi- 
dent to  them  that  there  was  a  good  chance 
of  the  runaways  being  found  in  hiding  about 
the  premises. 

They  knew  full  well  that  the  wife  of  the 
rebel  colonel  was  a  bitter  Secesh,  and  would 
not  think  of  harboring  any  one  who  would 
prove  an  enemy ;  but  in  those  days  of  dark- 
ness in  the  South  it  was  well  known  where 
the  sympathy  of  every  slave  lay,  and  they 
were  regarded  suspiciously  at  times  when 
there  seemed  to  be  a  chance  for  them  to 
secretly  strike  a  blow  at  the  Confederacy. 

They  soon  understood  that  the  fugitives 
could  not  have  hidden  themselves  m  the 
house  by  any  manner  of  means,  and  their  at- 
tention was  now  cast  upon  the  stable. 

A  rush  was  made  lor  the  barn. 

Through  a  knothole  in  the  boards  Archie 
saw  them  coming.  He  had  continued  to 
burrow  under  the  hay  until  he  was  finally 
brought  to  a  halt  by  reaching  the  side  of 
the  bam  and  here  they  would  doubtless 
be  safe  from  the  keen  search  that  must  in- 
evitably follow. 

At  sight  of  the  Confederates  rushing  to- 
ward the  place,  he  could  not  help  shudder- 
ing, they  i)resented  such  a  wild  appearance; 
and  he  easily  recognized  them  as  a  portion  of 
that  fearless  and  reckless  command  known 
aa  the  Alabama  Wildcats. 

They  were  representative  Alabamians,  tall 
and  angular,  men  who  feared  neither  man 
nor  devil ;  who  could  whip  thrice  their  num- 
ber in  battle  ;  and  as  he  had  met,  these  fel- 
lows before  he  did  not  relish  falling  into 
their  hands. 

Since  time  had  elapsed  without  their 
noting  its  passage,  it  had  been  past  the  mid- 
dle of  the  afternoon  when  they  left  the 
house  of  Cudjo,  bound  for  this  place. 

Because  of  the  heavy  fog  and  general 
gloom,  night  might  be  expected  to  close 
in  upon  them  sooner  than  usual,  and  the 
way  things  now  looked  it  could  not  come 
any  too  soon. 

When  the  Alabama  fire-eaters  reached  the 
barn  they  put  the  darky  through  a  syste- 
matic course  of  questioning,  and  yet  they 
were  not  at  all  satisfied  with  the  answers  he 
gave. 

Of  course  he  pretended  to  be  totally  igno- 
rant in  regard  to  that  of  which  they  inquired; 
but  some  of  the  Confederates  professed  to 
see  the  lie  in  his  face. 

A  search  was  immediately  begun,  and  of  a 
necessity  this  brought  them  to  the  great 
loft  of  hay. 

They  might  have  shifted  it,  but  the   task 


was  more  than  any  of  them  cared  to  shoul- 
der, and  consequently  other  means  must  be 
tried  in  oraer  to  ascertain  whether  the 
Yankees  were  secreted  under  its  weight. 

The  leader  of  the  cavalrymen,  a  heavy  set 
sergeant,  took  up  his  stand  in  front  of  the 
"  manded : 
loody  Yanks. 
We  know  whar  you  are  and  I  reckon  you'll 
save  yer  hides  a  siugin'  by  surrendering  I 
Come  out!" 

No  answer. 

The  sergeant  uttered  a  string  of  oaths  and 
then  tried  another  tack. 

"  Boys,  get  yer  guns  ready.  Ef  the  Yanks 
don't  make  a  stir  by  the  time  I  count  ten, 
let  drive.  We'll  see  how  long  they  can 
stand  hot  lead." 

Thereupon  there  was  a  great  clicking  of 
gun  locks,  every  one  of  the  five  troopers 
who  had  ascended  to  the  loft  with  the  ser- 
geant feeling  it  incumbent  upon  himself  to 
pull  back  the  hammer  of  his  piece  at  least 
three  times,  the  effect  of  course  being  to 
impress  any  one  who  overheard  the  work 
with  the  idea  that  there  was  quite  a  host 
present. 

Slowly  and  methodically  the  sergeant 
counted  half  a  score,  but  when  he  had  fin- 
ished not  a  sound  broke  the  silence  save  the 
stamping  of  a  horse  in  a  stall  below  or  the 
laugh  of  one  of  the  men  outside. 

The  discomfited  sergeant  now  uttered  an- 
other oath.  He  had  half  believed  himself 
that  the  fugitives  were  under  the  hay,  but 
now  his  ideas  had  changed  considerably,  for 
it  would  be  impossible  that  they  could  be 
within  hearing  and  refuse  to  discover  them- 
selves at  his  stern  command. 

"Fire!" 

With  the  order  the  guns  were  discharged 
with  a  deafening  crash,  but  there  was  not 
the  slightest  commotion  in  the  hay. 

A  hundred  bullets  fired  into  that  heap 
could  have  done  our  friends  no  harm,  for  the 
closely  packed  hay  was  almost  as  effectual  a 
barrier  to  the  passage  of  lead  as  sandbags 
might  have  been. 

A  commotion  arose  below. 

The  horse  broke  loose  and  dashed  wildly 
through  the  stable,  scattering  the  rebels  who 
had  remained  below. 

They,  believing  something  terrible  must 
have  happened  above,  ran  outside,  while 
the  sergeant  and  hia  men  came  tumbling 
down,  believing  on  their  part  that  an  attack 
of  some  kind  must  have  been  made  on  those 
below  at  the  time  of  their  firing. 

It  seemed  evident  to  all  parties  by  this 
time  that  the  Yankees  were  not  there,  and 
so  they  once  more  turned  toward  the  house, 
probably  for  refreshment,  after  holding  a 
short  confab  as  to  wh  at  should  be  their  fut- 
ure coujse  with  regard  to  the  hunt. 

Half  of  the  distance  had  been  gone  over, 
when,  in  the  midst  of  a  heated  discussion,  a 
sharp  cry  suddenly  rang  out. 

Thinking  of  the  Yankees  who  had  effected 
such  a  daring  escape  from  Andersonville, 
the  troopers  grasped  their  carbines  nervous- 
ly and  looked  toward  that  spot  from  whence 
the  cry  seemed  to  come. 

It  was  the  colonel's  wife,  and  she  stood 
upon  the  veranda  of  the  mansion  pointing 
either  at  or  over  them,  while  she  uttered 
some  bitter  denunciation  of  which  they 
oould  only  understand  the  fact  that  she 
would  see  to  it  that  they  were  given  their 
ts  by  the  colonel  when  he  returned. 


In    what  way,  madam,  hav 
)ng  ?    We  believed  the  Yank< 


wrong  I  We  believed  the  Yankees  to  be  in 
the  barn,"  said  the  rebel  sergeant  with 
either  real  or  mock  humility. 

'Rascal,  look  behind  and  see  your  work!" 
crlec»  the  irate  lady. 

The  troopers  turned. 

"My  stars!"    yelled   the    sergeant,    "the 
barn's  all  ablaze." 

And  the  two  Yankees  lay  under  the  burn- 
ing hay ! 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

SORELT    PRESSED. 

The  words  of  the  rebel  sergeant  were  in- 
deed true. 

How  the  fire  originated  was  not  a  very 
difftcult  problem  to  solve  to  those  of  the 
men  who  had  been  up  in  the  loft  with  the 
non-commissioned  officer. 

After  they  had  discharged  their  weapons 
into  the  hay,  they  had  only  time  to  notice  that 
there  was  no  succeeding  commotion,  such  as 
would  be  the  natural  consequence  had  the 
fugitives  been  beneath  the  hay  and  been 
struck  by  their  balls,  when  the  commotion 
below  drew  Iheni  thither. 

Such  was  tlieir  haste,  half  believing  there 
must  be  a  surprise  from  some  of  the  escaped 
Yankees,  of  whom  they  entertained  a  secret 


fear  since  the  killing  of  the  bloodhounds  in 
the  swamp,  and  the  discomfiture  of  the  pris- 
on guards  under  Captain  Wirz,  that  they 
took  no  notice  of  the  fact  that  a  wad  from 
one   of   their  guns  was  smouldering  in  the 


wonderful  quickness  upon  the  surrounding 
hay  in  a  very  short  time  the  loft  was  a  mass 
of  fire. 

Archie's  father  noticed  it  first,  for  Archie 
himself  had  his  nose  pressed  against  the 
boards  as  he  peered  through  the  knot  hole 
after  the  rebels. 

"  What  is  this  smoke,  Archie?" 

Turning  at  the  words,  the  young  fellow 
also  caught  a  whiff  of  the  sharp  smoke 
which  was  already  permeating  every  por- 
tiou  of  the  loft,  having  found  little  outlet  as 
yet,  though  the  roof  was  on  fire  inside. 

At  the  same  time  there  came  to  their  ears 
a  crackling  noise,  which  could  have  but  one 
explanation— the  hay  was  on  fire ! 

■This  was  a  startling  fact. 

Under  the  hay,  as  they  were,  there  was  no 
chance  of  escape,  and  death  stared  them  in 
the  face. 

It  was  an  awful  feeling  that  came  upon 
them,  and  yet  it  seemed  useless  to  make  any 
at  escape  from  their  fate. 


ground. 

Were  they  doomed  to  be  burned  alive  like 
rats  in  a  trap  after  having  done  so  nobly  in 
eluding  their  pursuers  thus  far  ? 

The  doctor  groaned  at  the  idea. 

He  had  at  once  taken  it  for  granted  that 
nothing  could  save  them  from  the  threaten- 
ing doom,  and  his  mind  had  immediately 
gone  back  to  his  Ohio  home,  and  the  dear 
little  woman  who  had  mourned  for  him  so 
long.  Alas !  after  all,  it  would  have  been 
just  as  well,  perhaps,  had  he  fallen  in  the 
battle,  where  his  name  had  been  chronicled 
among  the  dead. 

As  for  Archie,  he  was  of  a  more  hopeful, 
energetic  nature. 

His  mind  was  not  yet  ready  to  give  up. 

He  thought  of  escape,  and  how  it  could  be 
accomplished. 

Better  to  face  the  dozen  troopers  in  a 
pitched  battle  than  submit  to  the  embraces 
of  the  fiery  monster. 

Was  it  not  possible  to  push  a  board  off  ? 

The  barn  was  old,  and  he  had  noticed  be- 
fore this,  when  he  had  no  thought  of  making 
use  of  the  fact,  that  some  of  the  boards 
were  loose  in  the  middle,  only  held  above 
and  below. 

Perpaps,  if  the  two  of  them  exerted  their 


would  give  them,  they  might  manage  to 
j)ush  one  of  these  boards  off,  and  escape  out- 
side through  the  aperture  thus  made,  though 
to  be  sure,  they  would  be  compelled  to  face 
tlie  troopers  immediately. 

Archie  had  almost  decided  on  this  plan, 
when  an  inspiration  came  to  him ;  he  could 
call  it  by  no  other  name. 

The  openings  to  the  stalls  were  generally 
on  the  other  side  of  the  loft,  but  one  at  least 
lay  ou  the  side  where  they  crouched  under 
the  hay,  for  he  had  put  his  foot  down  into 
it,  and  but  for  his  agility  in  recovering  him. 
self,  might  have  gone  through  just  before 
the  troopers  entered  the  barn. 

Why  not  m  ake  use  of  this  hole  now  ? 

Brilliant  thought. 

It  would  take  them  below  in  safety,  and 
at  the  same  time  might  give  them  a  chance 
to  escape  without  being  seen  by  the 
troopers. 

Just  as  he  hit  upon  this  idea,  looking  out 
through  the  knothole,  he  saw  the  troopera 
brought  to  a  halt  by  the  colonel's  wife  and 
their  attention  drawn  to  the  bam.  This  told 
him  that  the  fire  had  broken  through  the 
roof. 

A  few  words  to    his  father,and  the  doctor 

rasped  the  idea,  which  gave  him  much  re- 
let. 


fi'_ 

Archie  lost  not  a  second,  but  reaching  the 
spot,  he  pressed  his  weight  upon  the  hay, 
and  went  through  into  the  stall  below,  m 
which  act  his  father  followed  him. 

Their  time  was  exceedingly  limited. 

The  rebel  troopers  had  remained  trans- 
fixed for  a  dozen  seconds  after  realizing  that 
the  bam  had  been  fired  through  their 
means,  for  though  dare  devils  one  and  all, 
they  knew  the  officer  to  whom  this  place  be- 
longed, and  feared  his  anger. 

Thus  it  was  something  like  consternation 
seized  upon  them,  and  they  wasted  the  sec- 
onds that  were  so  precious  to  the  fugitives. 

As  Archie's  father  landed  beside  him  on 
the  lower  floor  of  the   bam,  a  wild  shout 


18 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


ringing  out  from  the  direction  of  the  house 
announced  the  fact  that  the  sergeant  and 
his  followers  had  recovered  their  wits,  and 
were  dashing  toward  the  barn,  as  if  any  ef- 
fort of  theirs  could  stay  the  mighty  power 
that  had  been  brought  into  life  by  a  spark. 

What  was  to  be  done? 

The  barn  doors  were  all  shut  and  could  be 
barred  from  the  inside  if  necessary,  so  that 
before  the  running  rebels  could  reach  them 
they  could  easily  transform  the  place  into 
a  fort,  which  could  not  be  taken  while  they 
remained  well  armed,  and  on  the  alert. 

Of  what  use  would  this  be  however  while 
the  fortress  was  burning  over  their  heads  ? 

This  would  not  be  good  policy. 

Again  Archie  was  equal  to  the  occasion 

His  eyes  fell  upon  a  small  opening  in  the 
rear  oC  the  barn,  and  toward  this  he  sprang 
followed  by  his  father. 

The  rebels  were  advancing  from  the  other 
direction,  and  if  by  good  luck  their  atten- 
tion would  be  fully  taken  up  with  the 
Are  then  our  friends  would  have  a  good 
chance  to  escape. 

Once  through  the  opening  the  danger 
grew  nearer. 

Each  of  them  had  a  revolver  ready,  and  if 
discovery  came,  they  intended  making  use 
of  the  weapons.  Should  they  gain  a  good 
start,  however,  they  might  trust  to  their 
legs  for  escape,  as  the  night  would  soon  close 
in. 

Away  they  dashed,  side  by  side,  desperate 
yet  determined  men,  who  were  ready  to  do 
and  dare,  when  there  was  held  before  them 
a  hope  of  ultimate  escape  and  freedom  from 
the  power  of  the  Confederacy. 

No  shout  had  as  yet  attested  to  the  fact 
that  they  were  discovered,  and  there  was  no 
telling  but  what  they  might  even  gain  the 
shelter  of  the  trees  without  being  seen. 

This  would  have  been  too  good  luck. 

When  two-thirds  of  the  way  across  the 
open,  a  sharp  report  rang  out  in  the  rear, 
aud  Archie  felt^-yes,  actually  felt  the  bullet 
slug  past  his  head,  tipping  his  left  ear  in  its 
passage. 

Then  came  hoarse  shouts  entirely  different 
from  the  shrill  cries  that  had  announced  the 
surprise  of  the  rebels  on  discovering  the 
fugitives. 

Telling  his  father  to  go  on,  leaping  in  a 
zigzag  manner  in  order  to  avoid  the  bullets 
that  must  eome,  the  brave  soldier  in  blue 
wheeled  in  his  tracks. 

There  was  a  rapid  interchange  of  shots, 
and  while  Archie  was  uninjured  he  must 
himself  have  done  considerable  damage 
among  his  foes,  for  there  was  wild  commo- 
tion among  them,  and  they  made  haste  to 
shelter  themselves  behind  the  barn  so  as  to 
be  out  of  the  unerring  marksman's  range. 

Taking  advantage  of  this  temporary  re- 
spite, Archie  ran  on  and  gained  the  shade  of 
the  trees. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

ALONG   THE   RAILROAD. 

Once  beside  his  father,  Archie  breathed 
more  easily,  for  that  danger  had  been  safely 
passed. 

When  he  vanished  from  view,  the  troopers 
again  made  their  appearance  as  though  it 
was  their  intention  to  immediately  pursue 
the  fugitives. 


hunting  so  assiduously  must  have  been  se- 
creted under  the  hay  after  all. 

They  were  reminded,  however,  that  the 
fugitives  differed  from  those  wretches  who 
had  so  often  been  hunted  through  this  coun- 
try, and  also  that  discretion  is  often  the 
better  part  of  valor,  by  the  sharp  crack  of 
two  revolvers,  and  hastily  they  sought  their 
shelter  again. 

All  that  was  left  to  the  fugitives  now  was 
immediate  flight,  and  as  they  turned  to  dash 
away  there  arose  in  front  of  them  a  human 
figure. 

Archie  instantly  covered  the  man  with  his 
weapon,  but  seeing  the  black  face,  he  lower- 
ed the  weapon,  fearing  no  treachery  there. 

"  It's  me,  massa — Bijah." 

It  was  indeed  Bijah,  who  had  escaped  from 
the  soldiers,  and  was  hiding  in  the  bushes. 
He  had  heard  the  firing  in  the  barn,  aud  be- 
lieving the  Yankees  had  been  shot,  had  lain 
low  for  fear  of  the  fury  of  the  troopers  who 
must  now  know  that  he  was  complicated  in 
the  matter. 

Even  when  the  flames  burst  from  the  roof 
of  the  barn,  he  could  only  sit  there  and 
shiver,  for  he  now  realized  that  he  had  as 
much  to  fear  from  the  auger  of  his  master 
wlien  he  returned  as  from  thesoldiers  them- 
selves. 


hen  he  saw  the  two  Yankees  safe  and 
sound  beside  him,  his  joy  knew  no  bounds. 

"I'se  gwine  wid  youse,  massa.  Dis  ain't 
no  safe  place  foah  Bijah  arter  dat.  Dey'd 
flay  him  alibe  foah  helpin'  you'se.  Don't 
say  nothin'  till  we  gits  outen  dis  neighbor- 
hood, an' den  I  let  you'se  decide  de  matter 
wid  me,  but  I  knows  it  am  suah  deff  foah 
me  heah." 

They  had  no  hesitation  to  trusting  to  his 
guidance,  knowing  full  well  that,  having 
been  raised  in  the  neighborhood,  every  rod 
of  ground  must  be  famiUar  to  him. 

As  they  hurried  along,  Archie  was  think- 
ing it  over,  and  he  saw  that  they  could  not 
well  refuse  the  darky's  jjetition. 

He  had  imperiled  his  life  by  hiding  them, 
so  that  it  would  be  no  longer  safe  for  him  to 
remain  behind. 

Besides,  would  he  not  be  useful  to  them 
in  dealing  with  the  colored  people. 

It  was  decided,  therefore,  that  Bijah  was 
to  become  one  of  their  number. 

He  led  them  in  an  intricate  manner,  and  it 
was  evident  to  both  men  that  without  dogs 
the  rebels  could  not  make  any  headway  to- 
ward pursuit. 

Had  they  so  desired,  Bijah  would  have 
taken  them  to  a  secret  glen  where  they 
could  have  hidden  with  security  as  long  as 
they  desired,  but  this  was  not  the  policy 
they  were  just  then  following. 

The  neighborhood  wsis  becoming  so  hot 
that  their  chief  desire  was  to  leave  it  as 
quickly  as  possible. 

If  they  could  by  some  means  get  ahead  of 
all  who  were  pursuing  them,  their  journey 
would  be  a  much  easier  one;  but  it  was  fear- 
ful work  when  the  whole  country  was  being 
hourly  scoured  by  footmen  and  horses,  and 
the  bay  of  the  fierce  bloodhound  was  liable 
to  be  heard  at  any  minute,  following  on 
their  trail. 

There  was  such  a  short  time  to  elapse  be- 
fore the  night  fell  that  it  would  not  have 
paid  them  to  have  stopped  to  rest. 

Again,  with  Bijah  to  guide  them  through 
the  country  with  which  he  was  so  familiar, 
it  was  certainly  plausible  to  believe  that  he 
would  take  unfrequented  paths  during  this 
remainder  of  daylight  so  as  to  prevent  the 
possibility  of  their  meeting  any  one. 

Darkness  fell — and  then  the  black  guide 
came  to  a  halt  to  settle  his  own  case  before 
going  further. 

It  was  a  moment  of  suspense  to  the  poor 
fellow. 

Was  he  to  accompany  them  to  the  land  of 
freedom  of  which  he  had  dreamed  so  long, 
or  would  they  decide  against  him,  in  which 
case  he  had  only  the  most  terrible  fate  to 
look  in  the  face  ? 

His  gratitude  knew  no  bouuds  when  he 
heard  their  decision;  and,  falling  on  his 
knees,  he  actually  cried  as  he  kissed  their 
hands. 

Solemnly  he  promised  to  be  bound  by  all 
they  wished  him  to  do,  to  be  eternally  vigi- 
lant and  keep  on  the  alert  for  their  wel- 
fare. 
Then  the  journey  was  resumed. 
The  fog  was  not  so  bad  among  the  trees, 
but  the  air  was  damp  aud  chilly,  and  they 
would  have  suffered  keenly  if  it  had  not 
been  for  their  constant  and  energetic  move- 
ments in  walking. 

As  the  route  was  rough,  every  muscle  of 
their  bodies  seemed  brought  into  play  with 
each  passing  minute. 

The  weary  march  was  kept  up;  but,  as 
the  hour  grew  later,  and  the  chance  of 
meeting  any  one  less,  Archie  told  the  black 
guide  to  take  them  to  some  public  highway 
where  they  could  make  better  progress 
than  by  stumbling  along  through  the  dark 
woods. 

While  they  were  on  the  way  to   the  road 
they  came  upon  an  open,  aud  Bijah  explain- 
ed that  it.was  the  railroad. 
This  was  a  new  though. 
Why  not  take  advantage  of  it,  and  make 
their  way  north  along  the  rails  ? 

True,  there  was  danger  of  being  seen;  but, 
at  this  remote  southern  point,  the  railroads 
were  not  watched  and  guarded  by  soldiers 
as  was  the  case  near  the  scene  of  battle,  and 
their  uniforms  had  received  such  bad  usage 
that  in  the  night  it  must  be  keen  eyes  in 
deed  that  could  distinguish  their  difference 
from  the  butternut  of  the  Confederates. 

On  the  whole  it  was  a  good  thought,  and 
off  they  started. 
The  night  wore  on. 

It  was  weary  work,  but  they  were  dog 
ged  in  their  determination. 

Once  Bijah  brought  them  to  a  halt,  and 
declared  it  was  a  good  opportunity  to  secure 
a  mess  of  provisions  for  future  use. 

They  were  near  a  farmyard,  and  he  was 
well  ac<iuiiinted  with  the  place. 


Indeed,  from  his  actions,  Archie  had  a 
strong  suspicion  that  he  had  been  there  be- 
fore on  a  similar  errand,  but  he  kept  all 
these  ideas  to  himself. 

They  were  in  the  enemy's  country — and 
all's  fair  in  war. 

That  enemy  had  dragged  them  thither, 
had  starved  and  maltreated  them  in  every 
conceivable  manner,  and  now  anything  that 
fell  into  their  hands  must  be  confiscated. 
They  were  reguiarly  enlisted  soldiers  of  the 
government  in  a  rebel  country,  and  all  that 
could  be  taken  was  properly  their  own. 

Hence  they  had  no  qualms  of  conscience 
in  purloining  the  property  of  the  Confedei^ 
ates,  and  Bijah  informed  them  that  the 
er  of  this  place  was  as  rank  a  rebel  as 
ever  drew  breath. 

Acting  under  the  darky's  orders,  the  doc- 
tor secured  a  dozen  or  more  splendid  ears  of 
green  com  from  a  field  near  by,  and  waited 
at  the  rendezvous  by  the  railroad,  while  hi» 
companions  proceeded  to  accomplish  their 
share  of  the  labor. 

Archie  managed  to  secure  a  ham  from  the 
smoke  house,  while  the  negro  made  his  ap- 
pearance holding  a  fat  chicken  by  the  neck 
in  each  hand. 

No  one  but  a  member  of  the  colored  race 
could  ever  have  caught  those  two  fowls 
from  the  loost  without  making  a  tremendous 
clatter. 

Thus  laden,  the  trio  once  more  resumed 
their  journey  up  the  track,  resolved  to  walk 
until  near  morning. 

Bijah  promised  to  show  them  an  old  de- 
serted cabin,  in  an  almost  impenetrable 
brake,  where  a  runaway  negro  once  lived, 
and  near  which  he  and  others  of  the  slaves 
of  the    colonel    had    worked    one   summer. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  MEN   WHO  MARCHED  THROUGH  GEORGIA. 

Bijah  had  not  made  a  rash  promise  when 
he  declared  that  he  would  lead  them  to  a 
place  where  pursuit  would  never  find  them, 
and  where  they  could  spend  the  coming  day 
in  peace. 


.Just  before  dawn,  they  reached  the  tang- 
led undergrowth,  aud  following  the  darky 
closely,  commenced  the  task  of  pieroingit 


to  the  center,  where,  screened  by  the  c 
thickets,  lay  the  little  rude  cabin  that  had 
once  been  the  home  of  a  runaway  slave,  and 
where  he  had  lived  for  some  years,  defying 
capture  from  all  persons. 

■They  were  compelled  to  get  on  their  knees 
and  criwl  at  times,  and  once  had  to  lie  flat 
upon  their  breasts  and  wriggle  along  like  so 
many  serpents. 

How  Bijah  could  remember  this  route  so 
well,  unless  he  had  had  an  object  in  making 
it  familiar,  it  would  be  hard  to  say. 

Archie  believed  the  black  had  intended 
running  away  at  some  time  in  the  past,  and 
had  kept  this  secret  quiet  for  reasons  which 
were  very  manifest. 

Be  that  as  it  might,  it  was  lucky  for  them 
that  he  knew  of  the  place. 

They  passed  the  most  pleasant  day  of  all 
their  pilgrimage  there. 

The  hut  was  so  wonderfully  concealed, 
that,  without  a  knowledge  of  the  labyrinth- 
ian  route  through  which  Bijah  had  taken 
them,  and  which  had  been  formed  by  the 
runaway  slave  by  long  labor,  it  was  utterly 
impossible  to  get  anywhere  near  the  hut, 
hence  they  were  quite  free  of  apprehensions 
lest  the  smoke  of  their  fire  should  be  dis- 
covered. 

What  a  great  feast  they  had  upon  the 
spoils  of  their  recent  foray. 

The  green  corn  roasted  was  delicious,  and 
Bijah  extemporized  matters  so  that  both  the 
ham  and  the  chickens  were  more  than  pass- 
able. 

They  knew  that  this  day  would  be  to 
them  like  a  green  oasis  in  a  desert,  and 
hence  they  made  the  most  of  it,  hoping  to 
recruit  strength  for  future  need. 

Most  of  the  time  they  slept ;  but  for  an 
hour  they  discussed  their  journey,  Archie 
making  a  rude  map  of  their  designs,  and 
learning  all  he  could  from  Bijah  in  regard  to 
the  topography  of  the  country,  for  the  black 


When  evening  drew  near,  they  made  an- 
other hearty  meal,  and  after  that,  there  was 
nothing  left  to  carry  with  them. 

The  night  was  clear  overhead,  but  very 
dark,  which  suited  them  exactly. 

On  they  marched,  the  whole  livelong 
night,  keeping  to  their  old  friend,  the  rail- 
road, and  by  the  time  morning  came  it  was 


THE  WA.R  LIBRARY. 


19 


Once  they  had  been  cora^jelled  to  get  out 
of  the  way  of  a  pajssiug  train,  going  north, 
which  they  watched  wistfully,  as  its  lights 
vanished  in  the  distance. 

The  next  day  they  spent  in  a  lo^t  of  an  old 
shed,  once  used  for  cattle,  and,  when  night 
came,  pursued  their  journey  without  hav- 
ing had  a.  mouthful  of  food  tor  twenty-four 
hours. 

On  this  night  they  came  very  near  being 
captured,  walkiug  almost  directly  into  a 
regiment  of  Georgians  marching  down  the 
railroad  to  take  the  cars  at  the  station. 

Only  the  presence  ot  mind  of  Bijah  saved 
them,  and,  crouihiut,  in  the  bushes,  they 
watched  the  gray  soldiers  pass  by,  shivering 
at  the  closeness  of  their  escape,  and  promis- 
ing themselves  to  be  more  careful  in  the 
future. 

In  the  early  dawn  they  reached  some  ne- 
gro shanties  on  the  outskirt  of  a  plantation, 
■where  Bijah  soon  made  friends. 

They  were  secreted  in  a  cabin,  and  after  a 
while  a  negro  came  to  them  with  a  basket  of 
provisions,  which  had  been  contributed  by 
the  black  cook  at  the  house. 

Here  they  found  warm  friends. 


for  the  Union 
one  and  all,  and  hope'dMassa  Linkum's  boys 
would  soon  win  in  the  great  fight. 

That  night  the  fugitives  once  more  started 
.away  along  the  railroad  ;  but  they  had  been 
warned  by  the  negroes  that  it  would  be  dan- 
gerous keeping  to  it  inmh  longer.  So,  at 
midnight,  having  stiiu  k  a  road,  and  know- 
ing that  it  must  he  the  one  mentioned  by 
their  dusky  friencis,  which  they  had  been  ad- 
vised to  take,  they  left  the  rails  and  took  the 
pike. 

They  were  now  getting  in  the  vicinity  of 
Atlanta,  and  from  what  information  they 
could  pick  up,  it  was  believed  Sherman's 
forces  were  there. 

If  they  could  but  join  them,  all  would  be 
well. 

They  must  aim  therefore  for  Atlanta,  and 
keep  their  eyes  openfor  foes,  with  which  the 
country  abounded. 

They  had  suffered  much,  and  their  fitful 
slumbers  were  haunted  with  the  terrors  of 
Andersonville,  back  to  which  they  would 
assuredly  be  taken  if  recaptured. 

Both  soldiers  were  thin  and  gaunt,  but  they 
had  preserved  their  health  in  a  way  that  was 
almost  miraculous,  and  which  spoke  well  for 
the  doctor's  drugs. 

A  few  more  nights  ot  toiling— filled  with 
narrow  escapes,  suffering,  hunger  and  priva- 
tion, with  scarcely  any  sleep,  such  was  the 
extreme  danger  with  which  they  were  sur- 
rounded. 

How  would  It  all  end  ? 

They  did  not  feel  able  to  stand  much  more 
of  this  business,  and  yet  the  same  old  spirit 
of  pluck  and  determination  was  strong  with- 
in them. 


a  loadstone,    drawing  them    ever    onward, 

_  ng  despair,  and 
gloomy  hours. 


bridging  despair,  and    cheering  their  most 


They  had  lost  all  reckoning  now,  but  be- 
lieved they  must  be  in  thevicinity  of  Atlan- 
ta, for  the  country  fairly  overrun  with  small 
detachments  of  rebels,  who  had  evidently 
been  chased  out  of  the  city  when  Sherman 


were  staggering  along  one  night  about  nine 
o'clock,  never  once  suspecting  danger,  as 
their  course  lay  through  the  woods,  and  they 
knew  of  no  force  before  them,  when  suddenly 
there  rang  out  the  hoarse  challenge : 

"Halt!    Who  goes  there?" 

This  was  followed  by  the  sharp,  significant 
click  of  a  gun-hammer,  as  it  was  drawn 
back. 

The  fugitives  seemed  frozen  with  horror. 

To  be  caught,  after  all  they  had  endured, 
was  worse  than  death,  especially  when  they 
had  now  almost  gained  the  Federal  army. 

They  shut  their  teeth  hard,  and  grimly  re- 
solved that  sooner  than  submit  they  would 
braveauy  force  of  rebels,  risk  any  danger. 

These  things  flashed  through  their  minds 
like  wildfire,  and  yet  the  sentry  who  had  de- 
manded of  them  the  couutersign  was  grow- 
ing impatient. 

Delay  in  matters  like  this  was  enough  to 
engender  suspicion,  especially  at  such  a 
time,  when  the  soldiers  of  both  armies  were 
so  close. 

"Friends  or  foes?"  came  the  gruff  demand, 
and  they  knew  that  a  musket  was  aiming  in 
their  direction. 

It  was  a  fearful  moment  of  suspense. 

Archie,  was  about  to  fall  to  the  ground  and 


pul!  his  father  after  him,  when  there  sud- 
denly flashed  into  being  a  bright  light. 

It  was  as  if  some  one  had  cast  upon  a 
smoldei'iug  fire  an  armful  of  dead  leaves, 
which  had  burst  into  a  flame. 

By  the  aid  of  this  light  they  saw  numan 
figures,  a  dozen  or  so,  some  reclining,  others 
standing,  but  all,  oh,  blessed  sight,  wearing 
the  beloved  blue  of  Union  troops. 

Heaveu  be  praised,  they  had  struck  a  por- 
tion ot  Sherman's  army  in  the  environs  of 
Atlanta. 

Safe  at  last ! 

They  could  only  answer  the  sentry's  de- 
mand, and  were  soon  in  the  midst  of  sympa- 
thetic friends.      

CHAPTER   XXV. 

CONCLUSION. 

The  fugitives  from  Andersonville  had  come 
upon  a  portion  of  Kilpatrick's  command, 
and  they  received  royal  welcome  from  those 
heroes  who  followed  the  dashing  cavalry 
leader. 

For  a  few  days  they  were  well  fed  and 
given  good  opportunity  for  sleep,  which  re- 
cuperated them  immensely,  and  then  were 
turloughed. 

Bijah  at  once  entered  the  service  of  an 
oflicer  as  his  servant,  though  he  confessed  he 
very  much  desired  to  remain  with  Archie. 

The  two  meu  took  advantage  ot  an  engine 
leaving  for  Chattanooga  to  bring  down  one  of 
the  last  trains  of  supplies  that  Sherman  ex- 
pected to  receive  before  cutting  his  com- 
munication, and  starting  on  his  march  to  the 
sea. 

Thus  they  found  themselves  once  more  in 
Chattanooga,  where  frowning  Lookout 
Mouutain  looks  down  upon  the  Chickainau- 
ga  battlefield,  and  the  historic  Tennessee 
River  winds  around  like  a  water  serpent. 

At  that  day  the  famous  Cincinnati  South- 
ern railroad  was  only  a  dream,  so  that  our 
friends  were  compelled  to  take  a  roundabout 
way  in  order  to  reach  Cincinnati,  going  to 
Nashville  first  and  then  Louisville,  where 
they  embarked  on  a  steamer  that  eventually 
landed  them  on  the  public  water  front  of 
the  Queen  City  of  the  West. 

They  had  been  unable  to  telegraph,  as  the 
few  available  wires  were  used  for  public 
service,  aud  they  knew  full  well  that  the 
letters  writteu  in  Chattanooga  would  not 
reach  home  until  long  after  they  did,  but 
they  halted  not  in  Cincinnati  only  to  secure 
breakfast  when  they  boarded  a  north  bound 
train,  and  were  soon  flying  over  the  fields 
and  along  the  base  of  hills,  bound  for  home. 

They  were  terribly  excited. 

Joy  struggled  with  fear.  How  would  they 
find  the  home  from  which  they  had  been 
gone  so  long  ? 

Reaching  the  little  town  snugly  ensconsed 
among  the  Ohio  hills,  they  stopped  the  first 
citizen  whom  they  met  and  made  Inquiries 
which,  thank  Heaven,  eased  their  hearts. 

The  little  mother  was  alive  and  well, 
though  she  was  bowed  down  with  mourning 
for  her  lost  ones. 

Nearer  the  cottage  they  drew. 

The  door  stood  open,  the  afternoon  sun 
fell  upon  the  carpet,  just  as  Archie  remem- 
bered so  well. 

As  he  stepped  into  the  doorway  the  little 
lady  looked  up.  White  grew  her  face.  She 
slowly  arose,  holding  to  the  table  with  one 
trembling  hand. 

"  Mother,  it  is  your  boy,  alive  and  well." 

Archie  rushed  forward  and  caught  her  in 
his  strong  arms  as  he  spoke.  Theu  she  hung 
upon  his  neck  and  wept  for  joy,  while  her 
lips  uttered  short  but  fervent  prayers  of 
thanksgiving. 

Outside  a  tall  man  leaned  against  the  wall 
of  the  house,  while  his  frame  shook  with  in- 
tense emotion.  Oh !  the  seconds  were  hours 
fraught  with  agony  to  him— the  agony  of 
suspense,  for  he  was  dying  to  clasp  in  his 
arms  that  dearly  beloved  form. 

"  Mother,"  said  Archie,  when  the  little 
woman  had  become  in  a  measure  calm,  the 
violence  of  her  emotion  having  exhausted 
itself,  and  as  he  spoke  he  drew  back  his 
head  so  that  he  could  look  her  in  the  eves, 
"  are  you  able  to  hear  news — grand,  glorious 
news  ?" 

She  looked  at  him  in  wonder— then,  as  if  a 
glimmer  ot  the  truth  flashed  into  her  mind, 
a  frightened  expression  came  upon  her 
countenance. 

"Heaven  has  given  you  strength  to  bear 
sorrow;  be  brave  now  to  stand  great  joy.  Oh, 
God  has  been  good  to  us,  little  mother!" 

Theu  he  strode  to  the  door,  suspecting  that 
the  doctor,  who  had  suffered  much  more 
from  tho  privations  ot  their  escape  from  the 
prison  pen  than  himself,  would  be  rendered 
weak  by  the  excitement  and  went  out  to 
him. 


When  he  appeared  again,  supporting  with 
his  strong  arm  another,  the  little  lady  gave 
one  glance  into  that  white  face,  pinched  by 
hunger,  but  stil!  the  same  to  her  as  of  yore, 
aud  then  flew  to  him. 

"My  Edward,  alive!  Oh  God,  I  thank 
Thee!" 

That  was  all  she  said  ;  but  she  fainted  in 
his  embrace,  and  they  could  scarcely  unlock 
her  arms  from  around  his  neck,  so  tightly 
were  they  clasped. 

Oh !  it  was  a  happy  family  that  gathered 
around  that  supper  table.  The  neighbors 
heard  of  the  news,  and  came  flocking  in  to 
shake  by  the  hand  their  brave  fellows. 

One  came  not— butj  Archie,  eager  and  full 
of  joy,  put  on  his  cap  when  the  meal  was 
ended 

am  going  to  Muriel,  mother,"  he  said. 


^^L 


eaven  bless  her,  she  has  been  like  a 
daughter  to  me.  You  will  And  her  changed, 
for  she  has  mourned  you  as  dead,  but  she 
has  been  true  as  steel,"  said  his  mother,  a 
proud  light  in  her  eyes,  as  she  surveyed  the 
manly  young  fellow  before  her. 

Archie  found  Muriel  awaiting  him,  a  glow 
in  her  pale  cheeks  which  they  had  not 
known  for  many  a  day,  and  between  them 
was  the  happy  peace  that  comes  of  true  love 
and  devotion. 

Clarence  Henston  fell  at  Chattanooga  some 
time  after  the  battle  of  Chickamauga 
Creek.  Archie  never  mentioned  his  suspic- 
ions to  any  one,  but  he  was  firm  in  the  be- 
lief that  Clarence  had  tried  to  murder  him 
on  the  battlefield,  for  at  the  time  that  shot 
had  come  from  the  rear,  and  so  nearly  end- 
ed his  young  life,  his  rival,  the  lieutenant  was 
behind  him. 

Archie  only  spent  a  few  weeks  at  home, 
and  then  rejoined  the  army. 

The  doctor  had  leceived  a  shock  to  his 
system  from  his  long  imprisonment  and  the 
hardships  he  had  been  exposed  to  during  his 
escape,  so  he  remained  at  home. 

One  of  the  very  first  men  Archie  met  on 
his  entering  camp  was  the  fellow  he  had 
been  exposed  to  during  his  escape,  so  he  re- 
mained at  home. 

The  man  had  played  a  shrewd  game  on 
the  Confederates,  making  believe  he  was 
shot,  and  swimming  under  water  to  the 
shore,  where  he  hid  his  head  among  the 
reeds  that  lined  tho  bank. 

Archie  and  he  saw  much  of  each  other 
during  the  closing  months  of  the  war,  par- 
ticipating in  the  campaign  against  Lee, 
— hich  ended  with  his  surrender  after  a  gal- 


and  to  this  day  is  the  most  faithful  hench- 
man mortal  man  ever  had. 

All  of  our  friends  are  still  living,  and  in 
good  health.  Archie  is  one  of  the  leading 
lights  of  the  Ohio  bar,  and  his  boys  bid  fair 
to  be  perfect  fac-similes  of  their  father. 
There  is  a  young  girl  who  looks  much  like 
the  Muriel  of  former  years,  but  her  mother 
has  called  her  Adele. 

Archie  did  not  forget  Cudjo,  who  had 
done  so  much  for  them  during  that  time  of 
distress,  and  at  present  he  is  one  of  the  best 


eloquent  discourse  in  the  Southern  cabin. 

[THE    END.] 


CRIMSON  BARS; 


A.    SOLDIEK    FOK     LOVE. 


Br   MON   MYRTLE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   WAR  SONG   OF  THE   SUNNY   SOUTH.  I 

One  pleasant  summer  morning,  in  the 
year  1862,  two  men,  mounted  upon  hand- 
some, black  horses,  left  the  veranda  of  a 
charming  villa,  situated  near  Corinth,  Mis- 
sissippi. 

The  younger,  a  dashing  and  chivalrous 
specimen  ot  manhood,  was  attired  in  a 
gray  uniform,  and  a  broad-brimmed,  felt 
hat  covered  his  head. 

This  was  Ned  Morton,  and  no  other  than 
your  humble  servant. 

My  companion  was  dressed  in  the  usual 
garb  of  citizen ;  he  was  my  uncle,  William 
Morton,  a  wealthy  and  influential  man, 
much  respected— and  he  deserved  it. 

He  was  the  owner  of  the  mansion  from 
which  we  had  just  taken  our  departure. 

We  were  at  present  on  our  way  to  Con- 
federate headquarters:  his  object  being  to 
introduce  me  to  an  officer  of  his  acquaint- 


20 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY 


ance,  General  Van  Dom,  in  order,  if  possi- 
ble, to  secure  for  me  a  position  on  his 
staff. 

This,  however,  was  not  altogether  in  ac- 
cordance with  my  wishes;  for,  although  I 
wore  the  gra3',  I  had  uo  desire  to  cast  my 
lot  with  the  soldiers  of  the  South;  on  the 
coutrary,  my  convictions  led  me  in  the  op- 
posite direction,  and  I  was  steadfast  ou  that 
point ;  I  had  worn  the  gray  suit,  which  was 
my  dress  at  West  Point,  having  already 
speut  two  years  at  that  institution,  from 
which  I  had  been  ordered  home  by  my 
parents,  who  were  residents  of  Nashville, 
Tennessee,  as  soon  as  the  war  commenced. 
I  had,  however,  declined  to  go  until  two 
weeks  previous  to  the  openina;  of  our  story. 


ruse,  in   the  shape   of  a  telegram, 

dying, 

h;id  the  desired  effect, and  induced  me  to  leave 


stated   that  my  mother  was 


the  academy,  and  hasten  home. 


it  is  not  strange  that  I  believed  the  South  to 
be  in  the  wrong;  and  that  my  sympathies, 
which  were  at  first  with  the  South,  were 
shortly  enlisted  in  behalf  of  the  Union  ;  and, 
in  fact,  1  was  only  waiting  at  West  Point  to 
be  ordered  on  active  service. 
After  a  week  spent  at  home  with  my  pa- 


Nashville,  and  proceeded  to  Corinth,  for 
the  purpose  of  visiting  my  uncle  at  his  villa 
in  its  vicinity. 

To  proceed  with  my  story : 

When  we  arrived  at  Corinth,  we  found 
Price's  army  were  quartered  nearly  five 
miles  from  there,  awaiting  orders  to  move 
upon  the  village,  which  was  then  in  posses- 
sion of  the  Union  troops  under  General 
Rosecrans. 

Corinth  is  a  strong  position,  and  a  most 
desirable  strategtic  point,  being  situated  in 
a  range  of  the  Apalachian  Mountaius,  and 
upon  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi. 

In  1861,  when  Beauregard  occupied  the 
place,  he  had  constructed  earthworks  and 
fortifications,  in  order  to  enable  him  to 
maintain  his  stand  against  the  Federal  forces 
under  Halleck;  butHalleck,  iu  turn,  ou  his 
occupancy  of  the  place,  after  having  driven 
Beauregard  from  the  position,  strengthened 
it  materially. 

General  Rosecrans  had  also  added  to  the 
strength  of  the  fortifications,  aud  now  oc- 
cupied it,  waiting  until  the  rebels,  having 
concentrated  troops  enough  for  the  purpose, 
should  attempt  to  dislodge  him. 

We  passed  within  sight  of  the  flag,  which 
waved    gracefully    over    the    works,   and 


commanding  an  extended  view  of  the  posi 
tion. 

We  saw  a  few  Confederate  soldiers  in  a 
glade  further  ou,  but  avoided  them,  much 
to  my  relief,  and  shortly  reached  a  sub- 
urban villa. 

Here  we  halted  and  dismounted,  my 
uncle  remarking  that  we  would  make  a  call 
on  a  friend  of  his— Mr.  Brouton  Elden, 

We  found  him  at  home,  and  he  received  us 
very  cordially. 

After  we  had  exchanged  greetings  to  our 
satisfaction,  Mr.  Elden  bade  my  uncle  and 
myself  follow;  and,  entering  a  pleasant 
garden  which  was  attached  to  the  premises, 
we  were  shown  among  the  choice  collection 
of  plants  and  shrubbery  with  which  it  was 
ornamented  ;  and,  while  Mr.  Elden  and  my 
uncle  seemed  engrossed  in  their  conversa- 
tion, I  wandered  ou  aloue,  smoking  a  cigar. 
I  was  delighted  with  the  place;  and,  as  I  pro- 
ceeded, could  not  help  admiring  the  sur- 
roundings of  this  pretty  Southern  villa.  I 
was  shortly  overtaken  by  my  uncle  and  Mr. 
Elden,  and  we  strolled  among  the  bright 
array  of  flowers  and  choice  exotics  until  we 
came  in  sight  of  a  rustic  trellis,  at  the  further 
end  of  which  was  an  arbor,  from  whence 
proceeded  the  sweet,  girlish  voice  of  a 
maiden  warbling:  "Maryland  my  Mary- 
land," and  anon  singing  snatches  of  "Dixie" 
the  war  song  of  the  Sunny  South. 

As  we  drew  near,  she  broke  into  a  fresh 
peal  of  melody,  interspersing  her  variety  of 
patriotic  songs  with  a  verse  iu  the  follow- 
ing style: 

"  In  the  sunny  climes  of  Southland 
Where  o'er  hill  and  Klade  and  grass-land, 
Flowers  of  every  hue  are  clustered. 
Velvet  sprays  or  drrioping  cypress, 
Crimson-nlories,  rare  and  peerless. 
Stars  as  white  and  pure  as  lilies. 
Gathered  from  some  woodland  lakelet." 
Her  voice  was  rich  and  impressive,  and  I 
was  both  thrilled  and    charmed  with   the 
music. 

It  seemed  to  me  that  I  had  never  heard 
anything  half  so  inspiring. 


As  we  entered  the  arbor,  the  most  beauti- 
ful girl  I  had  ever  seen  arose,  and,  at  first, 
appeared  a  little  startled,  for  she  had  evi- 
dently not  anticipated  our  uncermomous 
entrance. 

She  was  a  fair  young  girl,  with  a  face  so 
mild  and  sweet  that  any  person  of  ordinary 
susceptibility  could  not  conceal  his  admira- 
tion. 

Hers  was,  indeed,  a  countenance  of  re- 
markable beauty,  and  one  which  combined 
all  the  essentials  of  culture  and  refine- 
ment. 

Her  dark,  brown  eyes  sparkled  with  mer- 
riment, and  she  was  mischievous  enough  to 
seem  delighted  at  my  apparent  embarrass- 
ment. 

"Elsie,"  observed  my  uncle,  smiling,  "I 
have  brought  your  cousin;  you  know  I 
promised  to  do  so  sometime  since;  but  here 
he  is  at  last,  what  do  you  think  of  him  1" 

The  girl  crimsoned,  and  confusedly  re- 
plied, girl-like: 

"Why,  Mr.  Morton,  how  can  you  say 
that?" 

"  Mr.  Edward  Morton— Miss  Elsie  Vernon ; 
Miss  Vernon— Mr.  Morton,"  said  Elden,  iu- 
troduciugus. 

We  both  nodded,  instinctively  ;  and,  fol- 
lowed by  my  uncle,  he  withdrew,  leaving  us 
to  our  own  reflections. 

Elsie  and  myself,  however,  soon  became 
acquainted.  The  situation  was  to  me— a 
bashful  young  man— rather  awkward  at  first, 
but,  observing  that  she  managed  to  main- 
tain au  admirable  degree  of  composure,  my 
coufldence  soon  returned,  and  we  shortly  be- 
gun to  chat  pleasantly. 

She  informed  me  that  she  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Elden's  wife's  sister,  and  her  parents 
having  died,  she  had  for  a  number  of  years 
resided  with  the  Eldens. 

Her  former  home  had  been  at  New  Or- 
leans ;  and  after  I  had  conversed  with  her 
for  a  short  time,  I  had  a  great  desire  to  visit 
the  Crescent  City,  which  she  described  so 
charmingly. 

We  then  talked  about  the  garden,  until, 
happening  to  glance  toward  a  chair  opposite 
where  we  were  sitting,  I  perceived  a  copy 
of  the  Corinth  Courier. 

"  Ah !  Miss  Vernon,  1 
ed  in  the  war,  are  you  not 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  like  to  read  of  the  gallant 
achievements  of  our  brave  boys  of  the  Sunny 
South." 

"  Then  you  are  a " 

"  I  was  about  to  remark  that  she  was  a 
rebel,  but  thought  better  of  it,  and  added, 
iustead : 

"A  true  woman !" 

"  You  must  not  begin  our  acquaintance  by 
flattery,"  shereplied,  demurely. 

"Not  for  the  world." 

"Yes,'  she  sighed,  "I  like  to  read  the 
papers  at  all  times,  and  especially  this  morn- 
ing, for  there  is  an  account  of  the  battle  of 
Manassas,  in  which  Arthur's  regiment  took 
part,  and  if  not  an  absolute  victory,  it  was 
at  least  an  advantage  for  our  cause." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,"  I  replied— T  fear  I 
told  a  fib — "  but  who  is  Arthur  ?"  I  ventured 
to  ask,  vague  fears  of  a  rival  for  the  affec 
tions  of  this  charming  creature,  with  whom 
I  was  already  enthralled,  arising  before  my 
mind. 

She  either  anticipated  my  query,  or  my 
eagerness  betrayed  my  emotion,  but  she 
gave  me  an  evasive  answer. 

"  A  gentleman  friend,"  was  all  she  said. 

Was  he  a  lover,  betrothed,  an  acquaint- 
ance, relative,  or  what  ?  were  the  questions 
which  I  tried  to  solve  in  my  inmost  mind, 
and  which  quite  baffled  me. 

Elsie  changed  the  subject. 

CHAPTER  II. 

THE  BATTLE  OP  COKINTH. 

My  pleasant  associations  with  this  peerless 
Southern  beauty  were  destined,  however,  to 
be  brief. 

We  enjoyed  a  few  pleasant  walks  about 
the  vicinity  of  the  place  during  the  two 
days  that  my  uncle  and  myself  remained  at 
Mr.  Elden's  as  his  guests;  and  it  is  needless 
to  say  that  Elsie  and  myself  became  very 
much  attached. 

At  length,  on  the  morning  of  the  third 
day,  at  the  breakfast  table,  my  uncle  an- 
nounced that  he  had  secured  for  me  a  lieu- 
tenant's commission  in  the  Confederate 
service,  and  that  I  was  to  be  attached  to 
General  Price's  staff. 

He  also  observed  that  the  orders  were  for 
me  to  proceed  at  once  to  headquarters  and 
report  myself  ready  for  duty. 

For  several  minutes  I  remained  silent,  like 
one  in  a  stupor,  so  crushing  was  this  appall- 
ing declaration  to  me. 


Recovering  my  self-possession,  however,  I 
exclaimed  : 

"  You  have  made  a  mistake,  sir.  I  am  a 
Union  man.  Do  I  not  wear  the  uniform  of 
the  Federal  military  academy  ?" 

"Union  man!"  sneered  my  uncle;  "a 
nephew  of  mine  turn  his  back  upon  his  own 
people !  and  at  that  in  the  hour  of  dire  neces- 
sity! Oh!  how  contemptuous!— traitor! 
traitor!" 

"  No,  sir,  not  a  traitor,  if  you  please.  I  am 
standing  up  for  the  whole,  undivided  Union 
—North,  South,  East  and  West ;  while  you 
believe  only  in  the  South,"  I  replied,  with 
energy. 

As  I  spoke,  I  produced  from  my  pocket  a 
small  silk  American  flag,  and  waved  it  over 
the  table  defiantly. 

Elsie  instantly  snatched  it  from  my  grasp, 
and  thrust  it  into  her  pocket,  at  the  same 
time  observing: 

"  Stand  up  like  a  man,  Ned,  and  fight  for 
the  people  who  love  you  !" 

"If  I  thought  you  loved  me,"  I  replied, 
keenly  scrutinizing  her  fair  face,  "  I  would 
consider  it." 

"Youwould?"  laughed  my  uncle-  "That's 
right,  Elsie,  my  dear;  you  will  maKe  a  Con- 
federate soldier  of  him  in  spite  of  his  ad- 
verse inclinations. 

"  Well,  yes,  I  admit  1  have  surrendered  to 
her  when  uo  three  men  would  have  broken 
my  determination,"  I  observed,  in  a  moment 
of  weakness,  a  proceeding  which  I  afterward 
upon  mature  reflection,  had  ample  cause  to 
regret. 

Elsie  clapped  her  hands  in  girlish  glee, 
plucked  a  fragrant  moss-rose  from  her  hair, 
and  fastened  it  in  the  lapel  of  my  coat ;  after 
which  she  proceeded  to  sew  on  the  epaulettes 
of  a  lieutenant,  and  finished  by  fastening  a 
dainty  pink  ribbon,  with  her  monogram 
tastefully  embroidered  thereon  in  gold  thread 
upon  my  left  breast  with  a  gold  pm,  remark- 
ing that  it  was  an  amulet  that  she  hoped 
would  preserve  my  life. 

She  tlien  bade  me  adieu,  as  my  uncle  was 


the  doorway,  surrounded  by  a  profusion  of 
sweet  honeysuckle  which  arched  the  en- 
trance, waving  her  handkerchief. 

In  my  inmost  heart  I  wished  I  had  never 
seen  her,  for  she  alone  was  the  cause  of  my 
becoming  a  traitor  to  my  country. 

But,  was  I  a  traitor? 

We  shall  see. 

In  due  time  we  reached  General  Van 
Dorn's  headquarters ;  my  uncle  introduced 
me,  and  .Van  Dom  called  one  of  his  aides 
and  ordered  him  to  conduct  me  to  General 
Price's  quarters  at  the  other  end  of  the  line 
—the  extreme  right. 

This  was  readily  accomplished  and  1  was 
soou  duly  installed. 

We  spent  at  least  two  weeks  resting  on  our 
arms  before  a  forward  movement  was  or- 
dered. I  earnestly  hoped  that  we  would 
fight  a  hotly  contested  battle,  and  made  up 
my  mind  if  it  were  possible  to  do  so,  to  fall 
in  with  and  join  the  Union  army. 

This  was  my  determination. 

Elsie  would  not  know  but  what  I  was  cap- 
tured and  confined  a  prisoner  of  war,  while 
I  would  be  engaged  in  fighting  the  battles  of 


General  Rogers,  commander  of  the  Texan 
brigade,  who  afterward  proved  one  of  the 
bravest  of  the  brave. 

General  Rosecrans,  in  command  of  the 
Federals,  must  have  been  advised  in  some 
manner  of  our  contemplated  attack,  for  he 
began  erecting  an  additional  line  of  earth- 
works in  anticipation  of  it. 

On  the  morning  of  September  30, 1862  we 
broke  camp  and  pushed  forward,  shortly  en- 
countering the  command  of  Ogleby,  thrown 
forward  as  skirmishers  by  Rosecrans,  in 
order  to  draw  us  under  the  heavy  fire  of  the 
batteries  of  Corinth. 

Ogleby  gave  us  a  pretty  hard  resistance, 
and  when  at  length  he  was  obliged  to  fall 
back,  stoutly  disputing  every  inch  of  the 
ground,  Geneials  Me  Arthur  and  Davis  were 
ordered  to  his  support. 

The  results  were  heavy  skirmishing  on 
both  sides  for  a  couple  of  days,  both  parties 
being  well  covered  by  the  \roods  and  thus 
sheltered  from  the  withering  fire  prevailing. 

Ou  October  3,  these  skirmishes  culminated 
in  Van  Dom,  backed  by  half  our  force  fall- 
ing heavily  upon  the  Union  commands,  and 
pushing  them  back. 

In  this  spirited  fray  which  was  really  the 
beginning  of  the  battle,  the  "enemy"  lost 
General  Hackelman  killed,  and  Ogleby  >e- 
verely  wounded. 

Price,  VanDom  and  Lovcll   imv-  i.  :  •■ 
trated  their  forces  for  the  pfr'c'i. 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


21 


Jorward  with  the  iutention  of  cutting  off 
Roseorans'  communications,  and  annihilat- 
ing his  small  force  ere  re-eutorcements  could 
arrive. 

Our   entire   army   numbered   fully  forty 
thousand     men ;     and,    well    armed     and 
1  formed  a  formidable  force  with 


equippe 
which  t 


charge  of  one  of  the  guns  of  a  battery  whose 
captain  had  fallen  in  the  skirmish  of  the 
previous  day.  I  thus  had  a  good  view  of  the 
Union  woiks  ere  they  were  obscured  by  the 
clouds  of  sulphuroui  smoke  which  were  so 
soon  to  ingulf  them. 

Four  redoubts  covered  the  approaches  to 
Corinth,  while  several  heavy  batteries  we 
olaced  in  position,  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
^weep    the   entire  space  in  front   of   their 

We  advanced  up  the  Chewalla  road,  and 
■  iKOuntered  three  regiments  of  infantry 
.vho  had  been  sent  out  to  meet  us. 

The  fight  commenced  at  about  half-past 
leveu  in  the  morning,  and  lasted  until  nearly 
two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

Shells,  from  the  earthworks,  and  also 
Toundshot  crushed  though  our  ranks,  spread- 
ing death  and  desolation  in  their  wake. 

The  fire  of  the  infantry  was  terrific  on 
both  sides. 

During  the  afternoon,  skirmishing  and 
more  or  less  fighting  prevailed,  the  Federals 
falling  back  to  take  position  behind  their 
earthworks. 

During  the  ensuing  night  I  assisted,  reluc- 
tantly, in  placing  a  rebel  battery  in  front  of 
the  Union  redoubts  at  a  short  distance  from 
Port  Robinett— their  center. 

The  battle  was  resumed  shortly  after  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning  by  this  battery,  but 
we  elicited  no  reply  from  the  Union  troops 
until  daybreak. 

Then,  such  a  perfect  tornado  of  shells  did 
they  pour  in  upon  us,  a  most  terrific  bom- 
bardment, which  it  seemed  as  though 
nothing  human  could  withstand. 

We  fired  a  few  rounds,  lost  five  gunners 
and  had  one  gun  dismounted  and  wrecked ; 
a  fort  on  a  commanding  height  which  I 
afterward  learned  was  Fort  Williams,  was 
armed  with  twenty-pound  parrot  guns. 

These  were  trained  upou  our  battery  which 
was  soon  silenced,  abandoned,  and  subse- 
quently captured. 

The  fire  of  the  batteries  on  both  sides  was 
now  terrific.  The  air  was  full  of  bursting 
shells,  rattling  cannister  and  whistling  bul- 
lets.   I  went  back  and  reported  to  Price. 

I  found  his  command  forming  behind  the 
shelter  of  the  woods  for  a  bayonet  charge. 
Zt  was  a  stirring  sight,  their  grim 
iks  surmounted  by  glei 
saluted  the  general 
orders. 

"Mount,"  said  he,  " and  lead  the  Second 
Texas  regiment  in  the  charge ;  they  are 
without  a  commander." 

I  took  my  place  and  made  up  my  mind 

that  I  would  leave  my  bones  to  bleach  on 

that  field. 

A  charge  seemed  madness.    Nothing  could 

"  "         batteries. 

i  not  just 

to  my  liking. 

I  would  much  prefer  to  be  a  "  live  coward 
than  a  dead  hero;"  but,  there  was  no  help 
for  it,  I  was  there  and  I  must  make  the  best 
of  it. 

Steadily  and  with  invincible  courage  our 
serried  columns  emerged  from  the  woods, 
crossed  the  railroad  and  moved  up  the  Boli- 
var road  toward  the  Federal  batteries  in 
column  of  divisions— Van  Dorn  holding  the 
right  and  Price  the  left.  Our  brigade  on  the 
left  swung  out,  and  the  one  ou  the  right  was 
slowly  obscured  by  the  smoke. 

Bullets  were  singing  in  close  proximity  to 
our  heads,  and  shells  were  scattering  their 
deadly  contents  in  our  very  faces,  but  still 
we  pressed  on,  undaunted. 

A  terrific  avalanche  of  shot  out  and  tore 
our  ranks,  ploughing  great  lanes  through 
them ;  but,  with  a  loud  shout  the  gaps  were 
filled  up  aud  still  on — on!  stumbling  over 
mangled  corpses  and  slipping  in  gore  as  we 
stalked  along  to  what  seemed  certain 
destruction. 
With  desperate  determination  the  Confed- 


coped  with  Davies  division,  poured  in  a  ter- 
rible volley  of  musketry  and  forced  them  to 
retire  in  disorder. 

Our  dead  and  dying  were  falling  about  us 
thick  and  fast;  men  were  stepped  on  or 
leaped  over  as  they  fell  upon  the  grass  with 


Dorn,  he  having  been  unable  to  advance, 
owing  to  diffloulties  encountered  in  the  way. 
With  a  hoarse  shout  our  host  rushed  upon 
the  batteries.  There  were  flashes  which  rent 
the  smoke  clouds,  we  were  enveloped  in  a 
sheet  of  flame  from  the  batteries,  and  our 
columns  almost  annihilated. 

The  attack  had  been  intended  to  be  simul- 
taneous with  that  of  Van  Dorn,  but  did  not 
reach  us  in  time,  and  Price  pushed  on  alone 
aud  bravely  breasted  the  full  fury  of  the 
batteries. 

We  formed  a  second  time  and  threw  our- 
selves upon  the  guns  in  the  very  madness  of 
despair,  but  were  hurled  back,  crushed,  but 
not  defeated.  A  third  time  we  rushed  up  to 
certain  destruction. 

We  gained  the  top  of  the  redoubt,  poured 
in  a  volley  upon  the  enemy,  killing  Gfeneral 
Richardson,  and  struggling  over  the  guns. 

The  guns  were  discharged  upon  theadvane- 
ing  masses  of  men,  who  were  pressing  up 
close  to  their  muzzles. 

Muskets  were  clubbed,  bayonets  and 
sabers  clashed  ;  still  we  desperately  cut  our 
way  inch  by  inch  and  were  soon  leaping  over 
the  ramparts. 

At  this  critical  juncture,  however,  an  Il- 
linois regiment  sprang  from  a  ravine  close 
by,  delivered  a  close  volley  and  charged  us 
impetuously,  putting  us  to  rout  and  recov- 
ering the  lost  ground. 

The  rest  of  the  terrible  battle  was  to  me  a 
blank. 

As  the  Illinois  regiment  delivered  its  fire, 
I  happening  to  be  in  a  conspicuous  place,  re- 
ceived a  bullet  through  my  body,  aud  fell 
unconscious. 

I  learned,  however,  when  ajprisoner  in  the 
hands  of  the  Union  men,  that  the  rest  of  the 
battle  was  terrible,  even  more  so  than  the 
first  portion.  Van  Dorn  and  Price  had  joint- 
ly attacked  the  largest  of  the  forts  and  been 
repulsed  with  dreadful  slaughter. 

General  Rogers  was  killed  while  planting 
the  rebel  colors  on  the  crest  of  Fort  Williams 
at  the  head  of  the  Fourth  Mississippi  aud 
Second  Texas  regiments.  Over  six  thousand 
Confederates  had  fallen,  and  about  two 
thousand  Federals,  on  this  frightful  field  of 
slaughter. 

The  Union  troops  claimed  to  have  captured 
two  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty -eight 
prisoners. 

The  rebels  were  completely  repulsed,  and 
Tennessee  was  now  fully  in  the  hands  of  the 
Federal  government.  The  prisoners  were 
shipped  north  to  Johnson's  Island  opposite 
Sandusky,  Ohio,  and  I  found  myself  with 
the  wounded  Union  soldiers  at  Cairo,  111., 
where  we  were  shipped  as  soon  as  practica- 
ble. 

I  was  not  dangerously  wounded,  though  it 
was  fully  six  or  eight  weeks  before  I  was 
able  to  be  about. 

I  was  then  sent  to  Johnson's  Island,  and 
remained  there  a  prisoner  of  war  one  month 
ere  I  was  exchanged. 

I  should,  before  submitting  to  imprison- 
ment, have  signified  my  wish  to  join  the 
Federal  army,  and  thus  have  escaped  it,  and 
at  the  same  time  have  fulfilled  my  earnest 
desire;  but,  I  got  the  idea  that  it  would  be 
better  for  me  to  suffer  awhile  longer,  and  be 
sure  of  Elsie,  than  at  once  make  the  change 
I  heartily  wished  to  effect. 


CHAPTER  III. 


lEKKINQ 


I  wrote  Miss  Elden  that  I  had  been   woun- 
but    had   now  entirely  recovered,  and 
prisoner   of   war 


although    detained   as 

hoped  to  get  back  to  her  some  time.  I  still 
wore  her  ribbon  badge,  and  it  was  spotted 
with  blood  from  the  field  of  Corinth— my 
own  blood,  shed  in  a  cause  against  which  in 
principle  I  was  opposed. 

She  replied  to  my  letter  promptly,  so  at 
least  the  date  thereon  attested,  though  it 
passed  through  so  many  official  hands,  and 
was  perused  by  so  many  prying,  curious 
people,  that  it  was  delayed  a  week  m  trans- 
mission, and  bore  the  marks  of  not  over 
scrupulously  clean  fingers. 

I  answered  her  welcome  epistle,  but  heard 
no  more  from  her,  and  supposed  my  note 
miscarried. 

On  the  day  of  my  exchange,  I  asked  per- 
mission of  the  colonel  of  the  Second  Tennes- 
see regiment  to  which  I  was  immediately 
assigned,  to  pay  a  short  visit  to  the  Eldens, 
as  well  as  for  a  brief  furlough,  in  order  that 
I  might  have  a  chance  to  recruit  my  ener- 
gies; feeling  somewhat  unnerved  from  the 
effect  of  my  wound  and  confinement.  But 
I  was  deprived  the  privilege.  The  colonel, 
who  was  a  very  rigid  disciplinarian,  stating 
that  there   was  no  time  for  fooling,  as  we 


had  to  march  at  once  for  Murfreesboro  to 
repel  Rosecrans'  advance  on  that  city. 

I  wrote  her  that  I  was  back  in  the  ranks 
and  in  good  spirits,  but  uuable  to  go  and 
see  her.  Alas,  however,  the  postal  facilities 
were  so  uncertain  that  she  never  received  it: 
or,  at  least  she  afterward  told  me  so,  and  I 
had  no  reason  to  doubt  her  word.  '. 

About  this  time  a  previous  suitor  of  hers — . 
Arthur  Vancleve— returned  from  the  army  j 
of  Virginia  on  a  furlough.  | 

She  told  him  plainly  of  our  engagement,  i 
and  the  subject  was  dropped  and  not  resumed  ■ 
for  several  days,  when  one  morning  Arthur, 
handed  her  a  copy  of  the  Corinth  Courier  in" 
which  there  was  an  account  of  a  skirmish  in 
front  of  Shelby ville,  Kentucky,  with  my 
name  in  the  death  list. 

She  nearly  swooned  at  first,  and  then  gave 
way  to  a  copious  flood  of  tears,  moaning  and 
almost  becoming  hysterical. 

In  those  days,  deaths  were  too  sudden  and 
common  to  cause  more  than  an  ordinary 
amount  of  grief,  and  in  a  short  time  Edward 
Morton  passed  from  her  mind,  and 
as  Vancleve  was  a  son  of  very  wealthy  paf- 
ents  and  could  exalt  her  from  her  humble 
position,  Elsie  began  to  encourage  his  ad- 
vances, and  in  about  six  weeks  after  my  sup- 
posed death  they  were  married. 

It  was  now  Vancleve's  Intention  to  pro- 
cure a  release  from  the  army,  and  remove 
with  his  charming  wife  to  California,  or 
some  such  agreeable  climate,  away  from  the 
hideousness  of  grim  visaged  war. 

Meanwhile,  I  with  my  regiment  partici- 
pated in  the  defense  of  Murfreesboro,  Ten- 
nessee. 

Although  in  the  thickest  of  that  flght^and 
it  was  a  pretty  rugged  one,  I  had  the  good 
fortune  to  escape  capture  or  injury. 

This  occurred  December  31, 1862,  and  June 
3, 1863,  I  was  sent  out  with  a  company  of  my 
regiment,  of  which  I  had  been  commissioned 
captain,  to  assist  G eneral  Cheatham's  army 
in  its  struggle  with  Rosecrans,  who  was  con- 
centrating his  forces  upon  Murfreesboro, 
determined  to  crush  the  Confederates  out  of 
existence. 

Five  thousand  men  were  detached  from 
Price's  army,  as  a  reserve,  and  among  these 
was  my  company,  every  one  of  them  brave 
men,  and  veterans  of  many  a  desperate  bat- 
tle. 

Previous  to  this,  however,  I  had  been 
allowed  a  short  furlough,  aud  had  hastened 
to  Corinth. 

Judge  of  my  dismay,  however,  on  learning 
that  Elsie  had  married  Vancleve,  and  had 
gone  with  him  nobody  knew  whither— or  if 
they  did  know— were  not  inclined  to  impart 
any  information. 

Her  uncle  was  glad  to  see  me,  but  never 
had  the  slightest  idea  that  I  was  interested 
so  much  in  his  niece. 

He  told  me  of  the  wedding,  and  said  he 
supposed  she  would  shortly  return. 

In  despair,  mortification,  and  jealous  rage 
I  returned  to  the  ranks,  and  when  ordered  to 
Murfreesboro,  proceeded  there  with  alac- 
rity, and  actually  hoped  to  get  killed  in  the 
battle. 

When  the  struggle  commenced,  I  plunged 
into  the  thick  of  the  fight,  and  later,  when 
our  color-sergeant  fell,  pierced  by  a  dozen 
bullets,  I  seized  the  flag  myself,  and  bore 
it  aloft  in  one  hand  and  my  sword  in  the 
other. 

Thus  in  the  terrible  battle  of  Stone  River, 
regardless  of  my  life,  and  reckless  to  a  fault, 
I  carried  the  "crimson  bars"  through  its 
baptism  of  fire,  amid  the  avalanche  of  shells 
and  bullets,  miraculously  escaping  the  hun- 
dreds which  were  doubtlessly  directed  at 
me. 

Finally,  I  rushed  headlong  into  the  Union 
ranks,  as  they  were  driving  our  men  before 
their  furious  advance,  and  was  immediately 
disarmed  and  made  a  prisoner. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

UNDER   THE   OLD    TLAG. 

The  thought  that  I  had  lost  her.  whom  I 
had  entered  the  Confederate  ranks  to  please, 
was  maddening  and  humiliating  in  the  ex- 
How  I  wished  that  I  could  have  ended  my 
life  in  its  dishonor  there  where  I  stood. 

But  my  captors  were  not  inclined  to  put 
me  to  death,  and  thus  release  me  from  my 
misery. 

Oh,  no,  they  wanted  me  to  spend  a  while 
in  prison,  and  then  count  "one"  in  ex- 
change for  one  of  their  noble  boys. 

While  I  was  oblivious  of  what  was  passing 
on  about  me,  so  deep  and  gloomy  was  my 
reverie,  I  was  suddenly  aroused  by  hearing 
my  name  called  in  a  cheerful  tone  of  mingled 
surprise  and  pleasure. 


22 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


"Ned  Morton,  by  all  that's  wonderful!" 
cried  a  handsome,  dashing  young  ofBccr,  at- 
tired in  a  blue  uniform,  and  with  a  lieuten- 
ant's bars  upon  his  shoulder-straps. 

I  looked  up  and  beheld  my  old  chum  of  the 
nappy  days  at  West  Point,  Elmer  Fenworth. 

"  Elmer ! "  I  exclaimed,  rising  from  my  re- 
,  tjumbent  position,  and  shaking  hands  with 
nim,  "you  here?" 
1  "Yes;  I  have  joined  our  gallant  boys  in 
blue,"  was  his  reply. 
1  "And  I,"  I  murmured  sadly,  "havejoinea 
our  gallant  boys  in  gray,  less  fortunate  but 
equally  braye." 

He  looked  at  rae  reproachfully. 

"Oh,  Ned,"  he  exclaimed,  feelingly,  "to 
think  that  you  and  I  who  were  always  like 
brothers  together  at  West  Point,  should  have 

been  striv;'       

rible  fight 
fondly. 

"  Such,"  I  replied,  "  is  of  too  common  oc- 
currence in  this  fratricidal  war— brother 
against  brother,  son  against  father." 

1  then  explained  to  him  how  I  had  hap- 
pened to  cast  my  lot  with  the  South,  and 
concluded  there  and  then  to  join  the  Union 
forces. 

I  explained  that  I  had  two  brothers  in 
Lee's  arucy  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  pre- 
ferred 20'-  to  go  where  I  would  be  likely  to 
encounter  them,  for  fear  that  I  might  have 
the  misfortune  of  killing  them. 

I  observed,  however,  as  he  introduced  me 
to  the  olficer  who  was  to  muster  me  in,  that 
I  wanted  to  go  where  the  fighting  was  heavy, 
in  order  to  make  amends  for  my  past  con- 
duct. 

"You  had  better  remain  with  us,  then," 
observed  the  officer,  "  for,  if  I  mistake  not, 
we  are  going  to  have  fighting  enough  before 
we  are  through  in  this  part  of  the  country." 

I  was  accordingly  made  corporal  of  the 
Eleventh  Indiana  Light  Battery,  which  was 
subsequently  detached  from  the  Army  of 
Tennessee,  and  ordered  to  join  Grant  in  his 
expedition  against  Vicksburg. 

Elmer  was  at  the  same  time  commissioned 
major  of  the  regiment,  being  transferred 
from  General  Rosecrans'  staff  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  the  former  commander,  Major  E. 
N.  Raymond,  promoted  to  colonel,  while 
Baxter  Belding,  a  young  merchant  of  In- 
dianapolis, was  made  lieutenant-colonel. 

He  and  Raymond  had  been  officers  in  the 
battery  since  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run, 
and  it  was  but  right  that  they  should  hold 
exalted  rank. 

Its  organizer.  Colonel  Robert  Gilmore,  had 
fallen  at  Ball's  Bluff,  and  his  successor.  Col- 
onel Graham,  at  Antietam. 


mined  that  my  efforts  for  the  "  stars  and 
stripes"  would  be  much  more  vigorous  if 
possible  than  they  had  been  for  the  "  crim- 
son bars." 

As  we  had  nothing  in  particular  to  do  at 
present,  Elmer  invited  me  to  accompany 
him  to  his  home  at  Detroit,  and  having  kind- 
ly secured  a  six  weeks'  furlough  for  me  as 
well  as  one  of  the  same  length  for  himself, 
I  could  not  refuse  him. 

I  told  him,  however,  that  I  felt  somewhat 

Bdeut  aboi 
of  the  North 
ly  fighting  against. 

"  Don't  give  yourself  any  uneasiness  on 
that  score,"  he  replied.  "Who  will  know 
it?" 

"That  is  not  the  question ;  it  is  the  inward 
consciousness  of  acting  what  I  am  not,  that 
troubles  me." 

"  But  you  are  going  to  make  it  all  right. 
Why,  Ned,  my  boy,  you  wiU  yet  be  an  hon- 
ored Federal  officer." 

"I  hope  so." 

We  reached  Detroit  four  days  later.  El- 
mer's family  was  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances, and  resided  on  one  of  the  grand 
avenues  of  the  city  in  a  spacious  house. 

I  desired  to  stop  at  the  Brunswick,  but  he 
would  not  hear  of  it,  so  together  we  pro- 
ceeded to  his  father's  residence. 

Such  a  greeting  as  my  friend  received! 
He  had  not  been  home  for  over  a  year,  and 
his  family  was  delighted. 

Elmsr  took  me  in,  introduced  me  as  one 
of  his  best  friends,  and  I  was  soon  entirely 
at  ease. 

A  handsome  young  lady  shortly  entered 
the  room  and  ran  up  to  Elmer  to  welcome 
him,  embracing  him  warmly.  He  introduced 
her  to  me  as  his  sister  Alice. 

She  was  tall,  fair  and  shapely,  with  deep 
blue  eyes,  and  dark  brown  hair ;  cheeks  like 
damask  roses,  a  small  mouth  with  coral  lips, 
which,  when  parted  iu  a  smile  which  gave 
a  sweetness  to  her  expression,  displayed  a 
set  of  small  teeth,  white  as  pearls.    In  short, 


she  was  a  brunette,  sparkling  and  vivacious, 
and  hi  r  beauty  was  enhanced  by  a  becoming 
dress  of  fleecy  white  muslin,  adorned  with 
cherry  colored  ribbons. 

She  could  not  have  been  over  nineteen, 
and  certainly  did  not  look  even  that  age. 

I  immediately  felt  deeply  impressed  with 
her  attractive  face  and  winsome  manners. 
Alice  and  I  were  soon  the  greatest  of  friends; 
not  that  I  could  forget  Elsie  so  soon,  but  as 
she  had  married,  I  had  no  further  claim  on 
her,  and  I  was  more  and  more  drawn  toward 
Alice  every  day. 

I  escorted  her  to  the  parties,  socisils,  op- 
era's, etc.,  and  the  time  passed  very  pleas- 
antly. How  rapidly  the  six  weeks  seemed 
to  fly ! 

Elmer  announced  one  morning  that  we 
would  have  to  return  the  first  of  the  week 
to  the  front.  I,  however,  made  the  best  of 
my  time  with  Alice,  and  determined  not  to 
lose  her  as  I  had  Elsie,  first  so  confided  in  her 
all  my  past  history,  and  left  it  optional  with 
her  to  accept  or  reject  me. 

She  felt  for  me  tenderly,  and  I  went  back 
to  the  army  a  happy  man,  leaving  her  a 
brilliant  diamond  rmg  as  a  pledge  of  our  be- 
trothal. 


really  decided  the  campaign,  as  it  effectual- 
ly squelched  all  hope  of  Johnston  effecting  a 
junction  with  Pemberton. 

At  Big  Black  River,  the  following  day, 
while  with  McClemand  in  pursuit  of  the  re- 
treating rebels,  we  came  upon  them  sudden- 
ly, and  as  the  ground  was  favorable,  they 
made  a  stand,   determined  to  dispute   our 


CHAPTER  V. 

HOT    WOKK. 

I  felt  now  as  though  I  should  like  to  live; 
yet,  I  did  not  shrink  from  following  the  for- 
tunes of  war. 

We  reached  camp  on  the  tenth  of  April. 

We  found  that  our  battery  had  already 
joined  Grant,  who,  iu  conjunction  with 
Sherman,  had  been  operating  against  Vicks- 
burg since  January  or  February. 

Accordingly,  we  proceeded  to  Cairo,  and 
took  transport  for  the  scene  of  hostilities, 
reaching  the  army  about  April  20,  and  at 
once  rejoining  our  battery. 

We  missed  most  of  the  perils  and  hard- 
ships of  the  campaign,  but  were  in  time  to 
participate  iu  the  spirited  engagement  at 
Port  Gibson,  Misssissippi,  which  resulted  in 
a  Union  victory,  occurring  on  May  1,  1863. 

At  two  o'clock  on  that  morning,  while  we 
were  marching  through  a  wild,  tropical 
country,  overgrown  with  luxuriant  foliage 
and  flowers,  from  which  a  rare  fragrance 
emanated— having  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
thirtieth  of  April,  under  McClemand,  laud- 
ed at  Bruinsburg— we  encountered  a  rebel 
battery,  and  were  brought  to  an  abrupt 
halt.  We  found  that  the  battery  was  strong- 
ly posted  on  the  brink  of  a  commanding 
eminence  before  us. 

We  af  lerward  learned  that  the  rebel  Gen- 
eral Bower  had  sallied  forth  from  his  iu- 
trenehments  at  Grand  Gulf,  and  had  planted 
his  batteries  on  these  heights. 

Our  battery  was  ordered  to  the  left,  which 
was  commanded  by  General  Osterhaus,  and 
as  soon  as  morning  broke,  we  opened  a  brisk 
fire  upon  the  enemy. 

The  battle  was  a  hotly  contest-ed  one,  and 
lasted  most  of  the  day. 

We  lost  over  eight  hundred  men,  killed, 
wounded  and  missing,  among  whom  were 
eighteen  from  our  battery,  including  Lieut- 
tenant  Colonel  Belding,  who  was  killed  by 
a  shell. 

During  the  night,  the  rebels  retreated, 
leaving  the  two  roads  to  Port  Gibson  open, 
and  fiying  across  the  Big  Black  River, 
abandonding  Grand  Gulf,  their  depot  for 
stores  and  ammunition,  which  fell  into  our 
hands,  and  afterwards  became  a  very  im- 
portant base  for  General  Grant's  supplies. 
They  destroyed  their  ammunition  and  spik- 
ed their  guns,  however,  before  leaving. 

On  the  twelfth  of  May,  under  General  Lo- 
gan, we  encountered  rebels  near  the  town  of 


Raymond,  strongly  posted  in  the  woods,  and 
drove  them  with  diffii 
their  rifle  pits. 


drove  tliem  with  difficulty  to  the  shelter  of 


After  a  hard  but  impetuouo  struggle  we 
drove  them  again,  and  hurled  them  back 
routed. 

Raymond  then  fell  into  our  hands. 

During  the  afternoon  of  the  fourteenth 
we  were  with  General  Crocker,  and  partici- 
pated in  an  artillery  duel  with  the  enemy 
quite  near  Jackson,  the  state  capital. 

As  before,  the  rebel  batteries  frowned  from 
the  top  of  a  hill,  and  we  were  obliged  to 
send  the  infantry  forward  to  storm  them, 
which,  under  Crocker's  personal  supervision 
they  did  in  magnificent  style,  dispersing  the 
foe,  though  with  dreadful  slaughter,  and  cap- 
turing Jackson. 

On  the  sixteenth,  we  met  General  Pember- 
ton, who  had  pushed  out  from  Vicksburg 
with  the  intention  of  attacking  Grant  in  the 
rear,  and  fought  his  forces  at  Champion 
Hills,  which  was  the  most  decisive  of  Grant's 
battles,  in  his  advance  on  Vicksburg,  and 


They  posted  eighteen  guns  on  the  brlpk  of 
an  eminence  opposite  a  bayou  twenty  feet 
wide  and  three  or  four  "feet  deep,  over 
which  we  would  be  obliged  to  pass  in  at- 
tacking them. 

Then  in  addition,  on  a  bluff  which 
fringed  the  other  side,  just  beyond  the  first 
battery,  we  perceived  an  array  of  guns  and 
ambushed  Confederates  nicely  ensconsed. 

To  storm  their  position  it  would  be  neces- 
sary to  debouch  out  upon  an  open  plain  and 
cross  both  the  bayou  and  the  river  in  the 
face  of  the  rebel  batteries. 

General  McClernand  viewed  the  position, 
and  immediately  ordered  an  artillery  attack 
upon  the  enemy's  works. 

We  took  a  fair  position,  unlimbered  our 
guns,  and  were  soon  hurling  shell  and  can- 
ister among  the  rebels. 

They  replied  with  vigor,  wounding  and  dis- 
abling General  JOsterhans  in  the  opening  of 
the  fusillade. 

While  we  kept  up  a  rattling  fire  in  the 
center,  thus  commanding  the  attention  of 
the  enemy.  General  Lawler,  contrived  to 
approach  the  rebel  works  on  the  right, 
quite  unobserved. 

Reaching  a  favorable  position  his  troops 
divested  themselves  of  their  knapsacks  and 
blankets,  fixed  bayonets.and  emerging  from 
their  concealment  traversed  the  open  field 
and  plunged  into  the  stagnant  water  of  the 
bayou. 

A  terrific  fire  of  shot  and  shell  was  in- 
stantly turned  upon  them,  reddening  the 
bi-ackish  water  with  their  blood. 

The  very  rashness  and  impetuosity  of  the 
assault,  however,   being  so  sudden  and  un- 


Accordingly,  the  bayou  was  successfully 
crossed,  and  the  works  taken  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet  without  much  further  resis- 
tance. 


CHAPTER  VL 


CAPTURE  ( 

As  the  rebels  were  now  driven  from  the 
Big  Black  River,General  McClernand  bridged 
the  stream  and  our  victorious  forces  pushed 
forward  toward  Vicksburg,  swinging  around 
to  the  south  as  we  approached  that  city. 

On  May  19  the  doomed  city  was  completely 
besieged,  our  lines  extending  from  the 
Yazoo  above  to  Warrenton  on  the  Mississip- 
pi below  Vicksburg. 

The  rebel  army  was  then  hemmed  in  on 
all  sides  without  the  possibility  of  escape. 

We  will  not  dwell  here  upon  the  memora- 
ble events  of  the  siege  which  lasted  two 
months,  until,  finally,  on  July  4,  General 
Peniberton  surrendered  to  Grant. 
1  had  lasted  nearly  t 
ederals  fully  nine  thousand 
men ;  and  no  wonder  it  was  a  great  relief  to 
us  when,  on  that  memorable  and  ever  glor- 
ious fourth  of  July,  the  rebels  capitulated. 

While  these  last  events  wera  transpiring, 
the  theater  of  war  had  been  transferred  by 
Lee  and  Longstreet  into  Pennsylvania,  and 
we  were  just  receiving  news  of  the  great 
battle  of  Gettysburg. 

After  the  capture  of  Vicksburg  we  were 
sent  to  join  General  Thomas,  and  with  him 
participated  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga, 
Septembxr  19  and  20.  Then,  in  November, 
while  with  Sherman  and  Hooker,  we  took 
part  in  the  battles  of  Lookout  Mountain  and 
Missionary  Ridge,  Tennessee. 

At  Christmas  Elmer  and  I  secured  brief 
furloughs,  and  hastened  to  Detroit.  While 
there  Alice  and  I  were  the  principals  in  a 
pleasant  bridal  party. 

In  March,  1864,  our  time  of  enlistment 
having  expired,  we  spent  nearly  a  month  in 
Detroit  again ;  and,  finally,  being  offered 
positions — Elmer,  as  colonel,  and  I,  as  major 

of  the Michigan  regiment — we  accepted, 

and  went  into  Virginia,  just  in  time  to  take 


led  our  regiment  in  the  terrible  battles  of  the 
Wildernes.s,  and  Spottsylvania,  and,  on  the 
fifteenth, in  the  battle  of  New  Mark3t,where 
we  were  repulsed. 

After  the  victory  in  April,  1865,  at  Big 
Five  Forks,  we  joined  in  the  assault  on 
Petersburg. 

On  this  series  of  battles  I  will  dwell  briefly, 
as  some  of  my  best  friends  fell  during  that 


THE  WAR  LIBRARY. 


23 


camiTal  of  death,  and  Elmer  lost  au  arm. 

On  the  second  of  April  our  regiment  was 
among  them  in  the  brigade  ordered  to  the 
assault  upon  the  rebel  rifle  pits. 

As  the  bugle  sounded  the  charge,  Elmer 
and  I  having  dismounted,  placed  ourselves 
in  position  and  pushed  forward  on  foot. 
How  they  did  plant  the  shot  and  shell,  grape 
and  canister  into  our  redoubtable  phalanx  ! 

The  explosions  were  actually  deafening, 
and  it  seemed  as  if  at  each  successive  dis- 
charge we  could  feel  the  flame  from  the 
guns  scorching  our  faces. 

While  we  pushed  on,  I  suddenly  felt  my- 
self whirled  around  and  thrown  violently 
upon  the  ground,  and  as  I  looked  behind 
me,  saw  a  great  gap  plowed  through  the 
ranks,  and  caught  the  flash  of  the  exploding 
shell,  tlirough  the  cloud  of  smoke. 

Those  near  me  were  not  injured,  nor  was 
I  myself,  though  the  force  of  concussion,  as 
the  shell  passed  in  such  close  proximity,  had 
prostrated  us. 

We  paused,  fired,  fixed  bayonets,  and 
charged  the  outer  line  of  rebel  rifle  pits, 
driving  the  enemy  before  us  to  seek  shelter 
in  their  intrenohments,  and  stumbling  over 
mangled  forms  as  we  pushed  forward. 

At  this  juncture,  our  regiment  was  order- 
ed to  hold  the  captured  pits,  and  we  imme- 
diately jumped  into  them  and  proceeded  to 
do  so. 

When  the  rebels  perceived  our  intention, 
they  advanced  a  light  battery,  determined 
to  dislodge  us ;  unhmbering  their  guns  and 
opening  fire. 

'What  a  din  the  shrieking  and  exploding 
shell.tand  whizzing  solid  shot  made  over  our 
heads,  as  ever  and  anon  they  scattered  tlie 
earth  into  our  faces  or  struck  down  some  of 
our  men. 

With  hoarse  cheers,  however,  we  defled 
them,  and  keeping  possession  of  the  excava- 
tions, were  soon  engaged  in  coolly  picking 
off  those  of  the  rebels  within  range  of  our 
deadly  rifles. 

The  enemy  possessing  heavy  siege  guns, 
which  were  in  a  flxed  position  in  front  of 
the  city,  began  throwing  fuse  shells  among 
us,  and  we  found  the  pits  soon  too  hot  to 
hold  us,  as  we  were  threatened  with  com- 
plete annihilation. 

While  we  were  subjected  to  this  tremend- 
ous Are,  however,  a  battery  had  been  order- 
ed to  our  support,  and  it  wheeled  into  posi- 
tion as  quickly  as  possible,  delivering  its 
fire  over  our  heads. 

Elmer  raised  his  sword,  and  spoke  en- 
couragingly to  our  men,  when,  suddenly, 
with  a  shriek,  a  heavy  shell  bounded  directly 
into  the  pit  between  us. 

As  it  bowled  over  the  earthworks  it  struck 
Lieutenant-colonel  Harris,  who  stood  near 
me,  taking  his  head  directly  off,  and,  explod- 
ing, blew  Elmer's  right  arm  off  just  at  the 
elbow,  and  killed  a  private  named  Johnson. 
As  we  could  not  have  Elmer's  wound  at- 
tended to  then,  I  bound  my  handkerchief 
tightly  around  the  mangled  stump  to  stop 
the  flow  of  blood. 

Rouudshot,  bullets  and  shell,  still  con- 
tinued to  iilow  through  our  position,  and  a 
fragment  of  the  latter  knocked  my  cap  off 
whue  I  was  attending  to  Elmer's  wounds.  I 
made  him  lie  down  in  the  trench  upon  my 
coat  and  his  own,  and,  seizing  a  musket, 
commenced  to  bang  away  in  my  shirt  sleeves 
at  the  enemy. 

An  hour  passed — an  hour  of  dire  destruc- 
tion of  human  life  and  limb. 

I  turned  to  assist  a  wounded  comrade, 
when  I  received  a  minie-ball  in  the  right 
breast,  which  traversed  my  body,  penetrated 
my  lungs,  missed  my  heart  by  a  couple  of 
inches,  and  came  out  through  my  left  arm, 
fracturing  the  bone,  but,  fortunately,  not 
shattering  it. 

Down  I  jumped,  and  knew  no  more  until 
the  engagement  was  over. 


CHAPTER  Til. 

CONCLnSION. 

Petersburg  was  taken,  Richmond  fell; 
Lee  surrendered  at  Appomattox,  and  the  ri^ 
bellion  collapsed. 

Still  I  lay  m  the  hospital,  at  Portsmouth, 
Va.,  alongside  my  brother-in-law,  Colonel 
Elmer  Fenworth;  and  my  wife  and  her 
mother,  who  had  come  down  from  Detroit, 
paid  every  attention  to  us. 

Penworth's  arm  had  been  amputated  near 
the  shoulder,  but  he  was  rapidly  convalesc- 
ing. 1  was,  however,  burning  up  with  fever, 
and  mv  life  despaired  of. 

Alice  always  endeavored  to  appear  hheer- 
ful  when  in  my  presence,  but  I  overheard 
her  saying  to  her  mother,  in  accents  of  dis- 
tress : 

"  Only  to  think,  mother,  that  he  should 
die,  now  that  the  war  is  over,  after  going 
through  so  much,"  and  her  eyes  filled  with 
tears. 

"Don't  weep,  Alice  dear,  I  think  he  will 

01 

will,' 

But  the  doctors  gave  not  a  ray  of  hope. 
How  horrible  was  existence  in  that  hospital, 
where  poor,  mangled  and  diseased  forms 
were  huddled  together  in  a  putrid  atmos- 
phere. 

Quite  a  number  were  released  from  their 
sufferings  by  death  every  day,  and  some 
pool-  fellows,  that  were  instinctively  aware 
that  they  could  not  recover,  awaited  death 
with  stolid  indifference. 

Before  fever  bereft  me  of  my  senses,  and 
previous  to  the  two  weeks  that  all  was  a 
blank  to  me  and  I  raved  continually,  I  no- 
ticed one  poor  boy,  who  knew  his  time  had 
come,  endeavoring  to  persuade  a  comrade 
who  sat  by  his  bedside  fanning  him,  to  assist 
him  to  walk  to  the  dead  house  as  he  was 
pretty  near  gone,  and  did  not  wish  to 
trouble  anybody  to  remove  his  corpse  after 
life  was  extinct.    He  was  a  true  hero. 

Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  I  reached 
the  climax  which  would  decide  my  fate, 
that  is,  whether  I  would  recover  or  not; 
passed  it  safely,  and  began  to  convalesce 
very  rapidly  once  the  fever  left  me. 

To  the  great  joy  of  my  wife  and  friends,  I 
was  able  ra  about  six  weeks  to  travel  slowly 
toward  Detroit. 

When  Elmer  and  I  had  both  fully  re- 
covered we  formed  a  copartnership  and 
went  into  business  as  lumber  merchants  at 
Grand  Rapids. 

During  the  fall  of  the  year  18G7  my  wife's 
health  began  to  fail,  and  physicians  ordered 
her  to  travel  South,  and  there  remain  for 
her  health. 

I  accompanied  her  and  we  made  my 
father's  mansion  our  home,  where  we  were 
warmly  welcomed.  My  sisters  had  married, 
and  lived  in  the  city  of  Nashrville,  and  one  of 
my  brothers  was  in  business  with  my  father 
—the  other  brother,  William,  fell  at  Gettys- 
burg. I  made  it  my  business  to  go  down  to 
Connth  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  Elsie,  now 
Mrs.  Vancleve. 

Disappointment,  however,  again  awaited 
me. 

Mr.  Elden  was  dead,  and  nobody  knew 
where  his  niece  and  her  husband  were  lo- 
cated. 

Nashville  did  not  seem  to  afford  Alice  any 
beneficial  result,  and  accordingly  we  went 
to  Millview,  Florida.  Here  for  a  time  she 
appeared  quite  well,  but  in  the  summer  of 
1869  she  began  to  fail  rapidly  and  died. 

Elmer,  and  his  wife  and  mother,  came 
down  to  the  funeral,  and  we  buried  her  be- 
neath a  spreading  orange  tree  in  the  ceme- 
tery at  St.  Augustine. 

After  the  funeral,  I  decided  to  remain 
where  1  was,  as  I  had  become  quite  attached 
to  Florida,  and  my  two  children  accompan- 


ied Elmer  North,  where  they  were  sent  to 
school. 

I  engaged  extensively  in  orange  culture, 
and  so>.">,  that  is,  in  a  very  few  years,  found 
myself  a  moderately  rich  man.  I  gave  my 
whole  attention  to  my  business  and  as  a  re- 
sult grew  more  and  more  wealthy. 

In  the  Centennial  year,  I  had  the  dis- 
tinguished honor  to  be  considered  one  of 
the  wealthiest  men  in  Florida. 

In  1878  I  had  occasion  to  go  to  Memphis  on 


One  day,  while  there,  I  strolled  out  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Elmwood  Cemetery,  and 
entered. 

As  I  saimtered  among  the  graves,  my  at- 
tention was  suddenly  attracted  by  a  young 
woman  in  mourning,  who  was  bending 
over  a  grave,  and  engaged  in  tenderly  em- 
bellishing it  with  flowers. 

There  was  something  in  the  sweet,  pale, 
girlish  face,  which  seemed  intuitively  to  draw 

e  towards  it  as  it  glowed  with  tenderdevo- 


my  eyes  upon  the  inscription  on  the  monu- 
ment. 

J  udge  of  my  utter  consternation  when  the 
following  met  my  gaze: 

"Capt.  Arthur  Vancleve,  C.  S.A.,  killed  at 
Chattanoofia,  May  9, 1864.    A(ied,  28." 

I  looked  at  the  lady;  scanned  every  linea- 
ment of  her  features  attentively,  and  al- 
though time  had  wrought  some  changes,  felt 
convmced  that  it  was  really  my  Elsie  that 
stood  before  me;  and  she  appeared  more 
lovely  than  ever.  I  approached,  looked  into 
her  tace  and  smiled  pleasantly,  while  I  ex- 
tended my  hand.  She  looked  up,  gave  a 
little  shriek,  and  almost  fainted.  She  thought 
she  beheld  an  apparition  of  Ned  Morton ;  and 
in  that  ghostly  place  it  was  no  wonder  she 
thought  me  a  supernatural  being. 

"  Why— no ;  can  it  be  possible  that  you  are 
Ned  Morton?  Ned  fell  at  Shelby  ville,  did  ho 
not?" 

"  No ;  that  is,  I  rather  guess  not.  I  am  Ned 
Morton!" 

And,  to  further  convince  her,  I  produced 


fingers  she  had  fastened  to  my  coat  on  that 
memorable  summer  dayiu  1862. 

I  had  carried  it  about  me  in  an  inside 
pocket  ever  since,  carefully  wrapped  in  oil 
silk,  as  a  memento,  and,  although  withal 
sadly  faded,  she  instantly  recognized  it. 

She  grasped  my  hands,  and  shook  them 
delightedly,  trembling  with  excitement  and 
pleasure. 

I  allowed  her  to  continue  her  exclamations 
and  demonstrations  of  surprise  and  joy  for  a 
few  minutes,  then  asked  an  explantion  of 
her  presence. 

She  then  informed  me  that  since  Arthur's 
death  she  had  resided  with  his  mother  in 
Memphis,  not  having  married  again— prefer- 
ring to  remain  a  charming  young  widow. 

I  made  it  a  point  to  remain  at  Memphis 
somewhat  longer  than  my  original  business 
in  that  city  demanded,  and  it  is  needless  to 
observe  that  Elsie  soon  set  aside  her  notion 
of  remaining  a  widow,  and  accepted  ray 
proposal  of  marriage. 

I  narrated  to  her  all  my  experience,  and 
she  seemed  much  interested ;  listening  very 
attentively,  while  tears  ever  and  anon  filled 
her  eyes,  as  I  recounted  the  many  scenes  of 

Eeril.  She  said  she  was  glad  that  after  all  I 
ad  subsequently  fought  on  the  side  to 
which  my  convictions  naturally  led  me,  and 
remarked  that  I  was  "a  traitor  lo  neither 
side  "—but  a  friend  and  soldier  of  both. 


After  our  quiet  wedding,  Elsie  accom- 
panied me  to  the  beautiful  orange  groves 
near  St.  Augustine,  where  peace,  tranquility 
and  bliss  have  since  prevailed. 

[THS  EKB.I 


24 


THE  WAK  LIBRAEY. 


THE  WAE  LIBEARY 


j  "Will  contain  Historic  Tales  of  the  War  for  the   Union, 

ture,  love,  intrigue  and  patriotism- 


Original,  full  of  life,  daring  adven- 


The  Unwritten  History  of  the  War. 

Historically  true,  as  to  dates  and  occurrences;  graphically  true  as  regards  possibilities,  these  tales  will  interest  as  well 
as  entertain  the  reader.  To  the  veteran,  who  will  fight  his  battles  over  between  the  Unes,  as  well  as  the  rising  generation 
ever  eager  to  read  of  deeds  of  patriotism  and  heroism,  this  Library  will  be  a  welcome  visitor. 

The  War  Library  is  issued  weekly,  complete  in  each  number.  Fresh  and  original,  it  occupies  a  new  field,  and  is 
free  from  ultra  partisanship.     Price  ten  cents  a  copy. 


'w.A.n.  Xji:BH.-A.n.-sr. 


I-MAJOR  HOTSPUR;  or,  Kilpat- 
rick's  Dashing   Rider.     By  Marline 

Manly.    A  rmisinjf  story  of  Sherman's  March 
to  the  Sea. 
2-BLUEORCRAY;  or,  Hunted  Spy 
of  the  Chickahominy.     By  ward 

Edwards,  "  lliwli  Private,"  U.S.  V. 
3-CAVALRY  SAM;  or,  The  Raiders 
of  the  Shenandoah.    ByCapt.  Mark 
Wilton.    A  thrilling  tale  of  Sheridan  and  his 

4-ON  TO  RICHMOND;  or,Scout  and 
Spy  of  the  Grand  Army.    By  Major 

A.  F.  Grant. 

S-VICKSBURC;  or,  The  Dashing 
Yankee  Middy  of  the  Cunboat 
Flotilia.  By  Corporal  Morris  Hoyue.  A 
etorj'  of  the  Great  Siege, 

6-SHILOH  ;   or.  Only   a  Private.    By 

Ward  Edwards,  U.  S.  V.    A  stirring  romance 
of  a  Kentuckian's  Cainpaigrn. 
7-BULLET     AND     BAYONET:     or 
Guerrillas  of  the  Ozark.    By  Captain 

.Mark  Wilton.    A  tale  of  the  Missouri  battle- 
fields. 
8    SHARPSHOOTER  DICK;  or.  The 
Hero    of    Bull    Run.      By  Major  A.  F. 


15-FIGHTINC  PAT;or,   The   Boys  of 

the  Irish  Brigade.    By  Bernard  Wayde. 
16-UNDER     TWO    FLAGS;    or.   The 

Field  of  Stone  River.    Uy  Morris  Red- 
wing. 

17-STARSAND  STRIPES;  or.  The 
Siege  of   Fort   Pulaski.    By  Major 

Hugh  Warren. 

18-BATTLE  ECHOES;  or,  Baudin's 
Boys  at  Chantilly.  By  Major  waiter 
Brisbane. 

19-CANNONEER  BOB;  or.  The 
Blockade  Runner.    A   story  of  the 

I>ati-  War  Attoat  and   Ashore.     By  Major  A. 
F.  Grant. 

20-BATTLE  BEN;  or.  The  Fortunes 

of    War.     A  story  of    Chickamauga.    By 
Morris  Redwing. 
21-SHOULDER-STRAPS;    or.  In  the 

Nick  of  Time.     A  stirring  Romance  of 
Getl>  sliurg.     Uy  .Major  Walter  Wilmot. 

22    SEVEN    PINES;    or,    Shot,  Shell 

and   Minle.     Hy  Warren  Walters. 
23~SABER  AND  SPUR,  or.    Fated   to 

be  Foes.     By  Mon  Myrtle. 

24-FIGHTINC    FOR    FAME;   or.    The 

Confederate    Raider.      A    story  of 

South  Mountain.    By  Morris  Redwing. 
25-DASHING  O'DONOHOE;  or.    The 
Hero  of  the  Irish  Brigade.    A  Story 
of  the  Seven  Days'  Battles.    By  Lieutenant 


9    PRISON  PEN;  or,  Dead    Line  at 

Andersonville.    By  Marline  Manly. 
I  O  -BIVOUAC  AND  BATTLE  ;  or.  The 

Rivals  in  Blue.  By  Corporal  Morris 
Hoyne.  A  Romance  of  Sherman's  North 
Carolina  Campaign. 

II-BEFORE    DONELSON;     or,     The 
Troopers  of  the  Cumberland.    By 

Edgar  L.  Vincent.    A  Stirring  Romance   of 
Grant's  Tennessee  Campaign. 
12-SOLD  FOR  A  SOLDIER;  or.  The 
Life    of    His    Regiment.    By  Ward 

Edwards,  "  High  Private,"  U.  8.  V.    A  story 
of  the  Arnry  of  the  Potomac. 
13-TRUE  BLUE;or,TheUnionScout  I  29-CUNBOAT   DAVE;   or,   A    Whirl- 
Of  Tennessee.     By  Major  a.  F.  Grant,  wind  of  Fire.    A  Rousing  story  of  the 

A  Rousing  Tale  of  Hood's  Last  Campaign.  Red  River  Campaign.    By  Morris  Redwing. 

14-CROSSED    SWORDS;     or.     The  |  SO    RIVAL  CAPTAINS;  or.   The  Hero 
Last    Charge    at    Antietam.     By  of  the  Pontoon  Bridge,    a  story  of 

Corporal  Morris  Hoyne.  Fredericksburg 


27  THE  FATAL  CARBINE;  or,  A 
Harvest  of  Death,  a  story  of  Cedar 
Mountain.    By  Major  Walter  Wilmot. 

28-MALVERN    HILL;  or.  The  Union 

Spy  of  Richmond.     By  Corporal  Morris 


■  Colonel  Oram  Etlor. 


3 (-HARD-TACK  ;  or.  The  Old  War 
Horse  of  Winchester.  By  Major 
Walter  Brisbane. 

32-YANKEE  STEVE  ;  or.  The  Scout 
of  the  Rappahannock,  a  Romance 
of  the  Army  Under  Burnside.  By  Morris 
Redwing. 

33-FARRACUT'S  SPY;  or.  The  Hero 
of  Mobile  Bay.  A  story  of  the  Great 
Bombardment.    By  Major  A.  F.  Grant. 

34-MISSION  RIDGE  ;  or.  Into  the 
Jaws  of  Death.    A  Story   of  the  Most 

Desperate  Battle  on  Record.  By  Major  Wal- 
ter Wilmot. 

35-CHAIN-SHOT;  or,  Mosby  and  His 
Men.  A  Tale  of  the  Death  Struggle  at 
Chancellorsville.    By  Colonel  Oram  Eflor. 

36  FIVE  FORKS;  or.  The  Loyal 
Hearts  of  Richmond.   A  story  of  the 

Last  Days  of  the  Confederacy.    By  Corporal 
Morris  Hoyne. 
37-CAPTAIN   IRONWRIST;  or,  The 
Soldier  of  Fortune.    By  Major  Walter 

Wilmot. 

38-THE  LOST  CAUSE  ;  or.  The  Fall 

of  Atlanta,  a  Thrilling  Tale  of  Sher- 
man and  his  men.    By  Morris  Redwing. 

3e~CAMP  FIRES;  or.  Marching 
Through   Georgia.    By  Wan-en  Wal- 


41-BETWEEN  THE  LINES;  or.  Fort- 
unes of  a  Young  Marine.  A  Story 
of  the  Bombardment  of  Island  Number  Ten, 
By  Morris  Redwing. 

42-THE  CAVALRY  GUIDE:  or,  in  the 
Saddle  and  Bivouac,  a  Thrilling 
Romance  of  the  Great  South-side  Raid.  By 
John  W.  Southard. 

43-HARPER'S  FERRY,  or.  From  the 
Chevron  to  Shoulder-Straps.    By 

Major  Walter  Wilmot. 


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